The Effects Of AI On Child Psychology

We know that the future is bright, and lately, it's like someone has been turning up the contrast. We're fortunate to have the chance to lean into technology. For every misstep that the information age has bestowed upon us, we double down our efforts. We learn how to do better. After all, humans fall short when it comes to being infallible.

Despite our analog errors, our brains have been reaping the benefits of technology. We created space to lean into the shift. The more impressionable the brain, the more interesting the observation. The evolution of child psychology and its interactions with technology continue to expand.

Today, artificial intelligence (AI) plays an integral role in the social, emotional and physical well-being of all humans — especially the developing ones. Children's mental development, with the assist of AI, can be optimized in a myriad of ways.

Tangible Tech: On Child Psychology

The child's brain is filled with curiosity, wonder and determination. Though?90% of a child's brain ?is developed by age 5, the most vulnerable time in brain development occurs at?age 8 . This is a timeframe in which children's brains will be the most biologically impacted by stress and external stimuli.

As children learn to interact with the world around them, they form a general understanding of cause and effect. They begin to associate what relationship-based interaction feels like.

Year after year, virtual assistants help us operate our day-to-day tasks. In a sense, we've developed our own relationships with our phones. From?notifications that remind us to breathe?to meditations that offer us a chance to ground.

If the developed brain shows positive changes in behavior, we've hit the tip of the iceberg. Unlocking the truth behind the positive changes for the developing brain becomes integral. When we talk about improving child psychology, we discuss opportunities for children. We guide them to experience the natural consequences of the world around them.?

Children have opportunities to play out real-life scenarios through AI. There are games that demonstrate leadership skills through roleplaying and value systems.

AI steps in on a powerful stage. Not only do children receive feedback from smart technologies such as?smart boards , but they learn to?process and identify ?the world around them.

When a parent or caregiver is occupied, virtual assistants in the home can become a vital lifeline. AI can offer academic support, independent functionality and the chance to offer resources.?For example, if a child is dysregulated, an AI application that teaches box breaths in the classroom could make all the difference. With full classrooms and?overwhelmed teachers, AI shows up in ways that we don't anticipate.

The Empowerment Of Neurodivergence

There is dexterity needed to support the abilities of all strengths. Demonstrating knowledge of neurotypical behavior is as crucial as promoting the neurodivergent brain.

Every day, children with ASD engage in?stimulating activities?through?artificial intelligence. There is no set way to test for ASD, leaving difficulty around?diagnosing children early on.

Children on the autism spectrum have to fine-tune their social and verbal skills to varying degrees, depending on their needs. Each child has a different set of criteria and ways to fulfill those markers.

AI continues to show up in all areas of serving children on the autism spectrum. AI can improve specific motor skills and direct eye contact and communication skills. A specific example is Standford Medicine's?BuddyBot , which is a "talking artificial intelligence companion for autistic children that adaptively converses with participants to potentially identify weaknesses in and improve their conversational skills."

ABA intervention has proven?the effective nature ?of AI in supporting kids with ASD. Where humans become frustrated, AI delivers consistency. This predictable outcome offers fluid feedback for children interacting with it.

Children with ASD struggle to create social connections, build trust and create a context in relationships. ABA clinicians are limited to work within their human abilities to track and observe. With artificial intelligence, measurements, tracking can become more than a possibility. And the ability to predict outcomes grows into synthesized data for which analysis can occur.

Transparency And Communication

There are obvious hurdles we're currently facing with AI across the globe. The world is still processing the impacts of the negative aspects of tech-forward mobility. Within this exchange, a learning curve is unveiled.

In response to those areas for growth, we bear witness to the facilitators of AI standing up to be accountable. More and more conversations are had around the implications that AI is capable of.?

The opportunities for AI to impact child psychology in a constructive way are endless. When we become open about the roles artificial intelligence plays in our lives, we can see the implications coming from a mile away. Like many resources, utilization is key.

With the proper monitoring and observation, we can create layers of safety nets in an if/then scenario. When utilizing the data we have now, we can make predictions and solve problems that have yet to occur.

Parents have made strides to discuss what AI is. To differentiate between the robot and the human relationship is essential.?

Closing The Gap

AI is revolutionizing the way we connect with one another. It impacts our relationships?and provides us with incredible opportunities. It highlights the experiences we can evolve with.

AI?enables us to connect to loved ones, near and far. And from this connection, we see how child psychology can be positively impacted by those interactions.

Raising a child in the 21st century is complex, but never before have we had the technological resources that we have today.?

Originally Published on Forbes.com

About The Author: AI and Blockchain Solutions Pioneer

A six-time CEO, Terence Mills is the CEO of AI.io, an industry leading data science and engineering company that envisions, conceptualizes, and delivers AI solutions in healthcare, travel, and entertainment. Terence is also a recognized and prestigious member of the Forbes Technology Council and a monthly Forbes.com contributor on the topic of AI. Terence has been recognized as one of the top 50 AI influencers on Twitter in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Terence also is a board member of the WBAF US Country office, an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion that is committed to collaborating globally to empowering the economic development of the world. As a sought-after AI thought leader, Terence participates as a keynote speaker to educate and assist business leaders and entrepreneurs about how to harness the power of AI and blockchain to solve business problems.

At?Ai.io , Terence is helping to propel advances in productivity by creating of the future of work and changing how people live their lives in ways they could only have imagined. In January of 2019, AI.io announced the launch of Halo Travel,?powered by Priceline Partner Network and Wex virtual payments. Halo?Travel is the first intelligent, voice-activated, and personalized chat bot for travel that combines?virtual payments with the capability to book flight and hotel reservations all via voice. This year, AI.io will be delivering innovative AI solutions in healthcare that will seek to improve the quality of care by solving some of the boldest problems in the $3.65 trillion U.S. healthcare?coding and payments industry.

“I’m passionate about building big businesses, boosting efficiency across the board and strengthening decision-making. Each morning I get excited by the thought of how to help business leaders transform their companies by bridging the gap of AI, blockchain, and big data to determine where they converge. As an AI influencer, thought leader, member of the Forbes Technology Council, and keynote speaker, I am evangelizing the need for a new class of AI that is explainable, accountable, not biased, nor destructive. My goal is to help executives and industry leaders to create truly efficient businesses by putting information into the hands of employees so that they can take action and strengthen decision-making often leading to revenue growth.”