3 conversations families need to have about AI

I met a fellow parent this week, Michael Whitaker (he goes by Whit), who is also passionate about helping parents navigate the AI era. As a profession, he helps guide organizations through the AI transition and in his own words, his unofficial job title is “making people have the conversations they don’t want to have, because they’re hard.”

He's carefully considered which tricky but essential AI conversations parents need to have with their kids - and emphasizes starting these conversations before there's a crisis:

1. AI as a study buddy: you can use AI to cheat, or you can use AI to learn, improve, and grow. The difference is significant: with the later, you’re building your critical thinking muscles, with the former, they atrophy. Identify and reinforce principles that align with your family values (e.g. "we are always the captain" and/or one that Whit likes: "own the start and own the finish.")

2. Seeing is no longer believing: we’ve officially crossed into a world where video and audio are no longer proof that something actually happened. Help your kids form and maintain healthy skepticism in the digital world. Related: establish a family safe word to verify callers, given the growing sophistication of AI voice cloning and scams.

3. Your “friend” is an algorithm: this one keeps me up at night. As I’ve shared before, AI companions are exploding among teens - a recent study by Common Sense Media shows that over 70% of teens have tried them, with over half using them regularly. These aren't friends; they're pattern recognition algorithms built by profit-motivated companies, trained to keep users engaged and telling them what they want to hear.

   It's crucial your kids understand how these companion AIs work and that they have at least one human "in the loop" they feel comfortable approaching with sensitive personal struggles. No algorithm can replace human wisdom, empathy, and the sometimes necessary tough love of someone who truly cares about their wellbeing.

One final and important piece of advice that resonated: connect these conversations back to your family “through-lines.” We may not be experts in these AI topics, but rooting these conversations in your core family values and timeless parenting lessons is a very strong foundation that should resonate with your kids, regardless of your fluency on the topic itself. (Thank you, Whit, for these insights!)

Is that Taylor Swift or is it AI?

An eye-opening study just dropped that should make every parent pause: 97% of people can't tell the difference between AI-generated music and human artists.

The study surveyed over 9,000 participants across 8 countries, and the results are sobering: 71% were genuinely surprised they couldn't distinguish between human and synthetic music. It also showed that most listeners (73%) want clear labelling on AI-generated music.

This has big implications for how music will be made, consumed, and monetized - and for what our kids will grow up thinking of as "real" music.

We've already learned that seeing isn't believing. Now hearing has joined that list.

Maybe don’t say “maybe”

We've all done it. An invite pops up to a kid's party, a moms' night out, or a work meeting you don’t feel like you’d really contribute to. You know you can't (or honestly, don't want to) go, so you reply "Maybe, I'll check!" or click "Tentative" on the calendar invite.

But new research reveals that responding with “maybe” may not be good for your relationships. In the studies, invitees consistently underestimated how likely inviters are to prefer a “no,” not realizing how disrespected - and left in limbo - inviters felt with a “maybe.”

Try this: Before responding 'Maybe,' for all those upcoming holiday parties, put yourself in the inviter's shoes. A clear 'No' is almost always kinder, as it lets them make a firm plan. If you truly can't commit, briefly explain why (e.g., "Waiting on a conflicting meeting") instead of leaving them guessing.

Young Men are trading real life for digital risk

As a mom of 3 boys, I’ve been concerned with the data that has been coming out around the gravitation of young men towards isolation and anti-social activities.

Admittedly, this essay by Atlantic writer Derek Thompson didn’t do anything to ease my anxiety, but I found it to be fascinating and worth a read: young men are becoming "monks in a casino" - avoiding real relationships while diving into online gambling and digital escapism. Half of men 18-49 have sports betting accounts, yet dating and socializing have plummeted by 70%.

The disturbing observation he puts forward: They've stopped feeling lonely. The constant dopamine from betting apps and screens prevents them from experiencing the discomfort of loneliness that would normally drive them to seek connection.

Parent Takeaway: The fix isn't removing screens, it's ensuring enough genuine human connection that isolation feels uncomfortable again. Make the messy world of real relationships feel worth the risk, because a life lived through screens is a terrible trade.

Put your AI helper on the clock

There is a lesser-known feature in ChatGPT that needs to be on every parent’s radar: the ability to schedule recurring AI tasks.

To set up a recurring task, simply start a prompt in ChatGPT with “Every [Sunday] at [7:00pm], do [blank]” and it will set it up for you as a recurring task that will automatically run at that day/time each week (or whatever cadence you want).

Here are a few great use-cases for inspiration:

1. Your Daily Briefing: each morning get a quick snapshot of your day, things you need to remember, and whatever would be most helpful to you (motivational quote or mediation? 10-minute workout? healthy breakfast inspo?). (Note: for this one, you’ll want to make sure ChatGPT is connected to your calendar which you can do by selecting “add sources.”).

2. Weekend Activity Ideas: every Friday have it send you a rundown of local events and activities going on that weekend that best suit your family’s ages, interests, and preferences.

3. School Email digest: I shared this one early on, but it’s one of my favorites: once or twice a week have it send you a summary of the things you need to know from the constant stream of school emails. You can even have it create calendar entries for events or things to remember that you can add to your calendar with one click (pro tip: you can also incorporate this into your daily briefing).

4. Household Operations manager: help start your week feeling calm and ready with a Sunday digest that pulls from your shared calendar and/or reminders, offers a family meal plan and grocery list, and “mental load relief”- one delegation or automation suggestion that could make the week a little easier.

Sample Prompt:

You are my personal assistant and have access to my calendar, notes, emails, contacts, family info, and ongoing projects. Each morning at 7:00 a.m, generate a Morning Prep Digest that helps me start the day focused and calm.

Include the following sections in a friendly, concise tone:

1. Top 3 Priorities: Pull from my active goals, tasks, reminders, and meetings - what matters most today?

2. Key Calendar Events: Time, participants, and one-line context for each.

3. Family & Personal Reminders: Birthdays, appointments, or family moments I shouldn't miss.

4. Encouragement or Quote: A short motivational or reflective line that matches the day's theme.

Keep it under 200 words, in my natural tone — direct, warm, grounded. At the end, suggest one proactive step to simplify or delegate today. Label the message: "☀️ Morning Prep Digest for [Date].

*Note: to adjust the recurrence, edit the prompt, or cancel, you can find all your scheduled tasks in your Settings.

The “buzz kill” we’ve all been waiting for

Mosquitoes are more than just a backyard or camping nuisance; they are the world's deadliest animal. But two new concepts, one high-tech, one bio-hack, could be the start to the end of the itchy-ankle-era.

• Top Gun for Mosquitos: A startup called Tornyol is building AI-powered micro-drones that literally hunt and kill mosquitoes. Using smartphone microphones and car-parking sonar sensors, the drone tracks a mosquito by its wing-beat sound and literally rams into it mid-air. They are aiming for a $50/month "drone army" subscription that patrols your yard 24/7.

• The Sweet Trap: On the biology side, scientists have genetically modified a fungus to emit "longifolene"—a sweet, floral scent that mosquitoes find irresistible. In lab tests, this "fatal attraction" killed 90-100% of mosquitoes. If proven out, this offers a potential solution for communities battling mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.

My take: I never thought I’d be cheering for fungus or backyard drone wars, but if it means ditching the DEET and the itchy ankles - and saving millions of lives - um, I’ll take it.