The article by Carbajo-Núñez M., published on the Blog of Accademia Alfonsiana
Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist parents in educating their children in multiple ways, such as providing educational applications that facilitate access to the most suitable educational resources. This is especially important in rural areas and for children with special needs[1].
AI applications can enhance family learning by identifying the areas of difficulty each person finds and suggesting ways to address them with appropriate methods, tools, and materials. To stimulate the commitment and motivation of each student, they can resort to games and other methods to make the learning process more appealing and enjoyable. They also offer the possibility of immediately evaluating the progress of each child and the best way to boost it.
These advantages and possibilities are accompanied by challenges that need to be addressed. AI applications, when used incorrectly, can lead to dependency, hinder the socio-emotional development of the child, reinforce prejudices, and reduce the necessary face-to-face interaction with other students. Therefore, parents and educators must be aware of the ethical challenges that the use of AI implies.
The role of parents in integrating AI into family education
“Parents are the first and foremost educators of their own children”, says John Paul II. This educational task is their “primary and inalienable right and duty.” Therefore, they should know the AI tools currently available and properly assess their potential benefits and risks. This knowledge and training will enable them to integrate AI into family education and teach their children to use it in an ethical and responsible manner.
AI can have a significant impact on family dynamics. Parents must ensure that its use does not undermine interpersonal relationships and significant moments of family intimacy. Excessive dependence on AI could harm the development of children, who need face-to-face interaction to develop social and emotional skills such as respect, empathy, and collaboration.
Parents should actively engage in their children’s learning, taking advantage of the possibilities that AI offers them to personalize education, find the most suitable resources, and monitor their progress. In addition to talking with their children about the possibilities and risks of AI, parents should also ensure that they only use those applications that are appropriate for their age, make a proper use of them, and do not exceed the time dedicated to them. Parents themselves should be a reference model in their use of these technologies.
They should also ensure that AI applications respect their children’s privacy and do not use personal data for non-academic purposes. Authorities must guarantee that parents are well informed about how AI programs collect, protect, use, and grant access to their children’s personal data, thus enabling parents to make informed and responsible decisions in this regard.
Conclusion
AI presents “exciting opportunities and grave risks” (WDP 2024, 1), also in the family environment. It can enhance and personalize the education of children, but it can also turn “everything into abstract calculations that reduce individuals to data, thinking to a mechanical process, experience to isolated cases, goodness to profit” (WCD 2024).
Parents and other education professionals must maintain a fluid and constant communication to address together the specific needs of each student and properly guide the use of AI, both in the family and at school. Indeed, “the purpose and the meaning” of AI depend on us (WDP 2024, 4).
[1] These paragraphs are taken from the article: “«Educación e inteligencia artificial. El papel de la familia», in Estudios Franciscanos 125/476 (2024) 89-102.
