#42 AI is my Galentine with Alexandra Samuel
From AI-Empowered Mom by AI-Empowered Mom | Sarah Dooley
February 13, 2026 · 30 min · Season 2 · Episode 4
About this episode
In this episode, Sarah Dooley and Alexandra Samuel discuss the transformative role of AI in parenting and how it can serve as a companion and support system for parents.
What if the relationship that helps you navigate parenting isn’t with another person, but with AI? In this Galentine’s Day special episode, Sarah Dooley sits down with Alexandra Samuel ,AI and workplace speaker, Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review contributor, and host of the Me + Viv podcast, to explore what it really means to build a relationship with AI. Alexandra shares her journey through what she calls “extra large parenting” as the mother of an autistic son, and how AI went from being a productivity tool to becoming Viv, her AI coach and companion. From creating personalized homeschool schedules in minutes to modeling lifelong learning for her kids, Alexandra reveals how AI can hold your hand while you hold theirs. This conversation challenges the idea that AI is just another tool. Instead, discover how building an intentional relationship with AI can reduce your mental load, support your parenting journey, and deepen your human connections. Topics discussed: What “extra large parenting” means and why work became Alexandra’s respite How AI transformed hours of homeschool planning into minutes The evolution of Viv from custom GPT to full AI companion Why parents…
People in this episode
Host: Sarah Dooley
Guest: Alexandra Samuel
Topics covered
- AI in parenting
- extra large parenting
- homeschooling
- AI companionship
- mental load reduction
- human connection
Keywords
- AI
- parenting
- homeschooling
- mental load
- AI companion
- extra large parenting
- lifelong learning
- curiosity
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review
Books & works: Me + Viv
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