AI and young parents

AI has become an integral part of our lives. It’s in your phone, your GPS, and your thermostat, as well as in social media, email programs, and text processors, in image editing, and data analysis. One of the best-known forms of AI is a Large Language Model (LLM), such as a chatbot. LLMs are systems that analyse large amounts of text to predict and generate a response. 

Very little research has been done on the use of AI by young parents. Waag, commissioned by the Van Leer Foundation, launched an initial exploratory study to examine how parents of young children use AI to support their parenting—both for parenting questions and for practical and emotional support. 

Results

Waag interviewed a diverse group of parents and future parents about their use of chatbots and large language models (LLMs). Their responses revealed a number of interesting patterns. For example, while many parents feel they use AI primarily for practical purposes, nearly all parents also appear to have an emotional connection with their favourite chatbot. Yet parents almost never discuss their use of AI in parenting with one another. Parents with a large social network generally use AI less than parents with a smaller network, and parents with a background in theoretical fields—who also deal extensively with AI in their work—make heavy use of chatbots in their personal lives and when raising their children.

Waag's research team also spoke with a diverse group of specialists who frequently interact with expectant parents and parents of young children in their work. This includes midwives, postpartum care providers, and family doctors, as well as childcare workers and school teachers. We presented our findings from the initial interviews to this group. What stood out was that many professionals do not yet have an appropriate approach for discussing the possibilities and risks of AI with young parents, and are not very engaged with the use of AI either in their own professional practice or in the lives of young parents. 

The third research group consisted of a control group of young parents. This group comprised parents who reported using AI extensively, both in their work and personal lives and as a support for their parenting. Similar to the first group, there appeared to be a discrepancy between parents their theoretical understanding of what an LLM is and can do, and their emotional connection to chatbots and the personification of these bots. Furthermore, many parents underestimated the influence of chatbots on their parenting beliefs and their interactions with one another, compared to what the research results actually showed. 

The study conducted by Waag is an exploratory study into the use of AI and its impact on the well-being of young parents. Among other things, the study’s findings indicate that much more research and awareness are needed, both for parents and for professionals who work with young parents.