About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of AI on child development and the importance of human interaction in parenting.

As AI rapidly changes how we work, learn, and communicate, it also raises an urgent question: What does it mean to grow up in a world dominated by smart technology? From smart-baby monitors to stuffed animals embedded with LLMs, kids and parents are increasingly bombarded with AI everywhere they turn. According to Prof. Dana Suskind, a renowned surgeon and pediatrician at the University of Chicago, AI might be able to mimic language, logic, and creativity, but it cannot replace the deeply relational, responsive human interactions that are crucial to a child’s development. In her latest book, Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI, Suskind argues that the earliest years of life are more critical than ever—and that parents and caregivers cannot be replaced or outsourced in building a child's brain. Suskind explains how we can build a society that genuinely supports parents in raising the next generation, so that human connection does not become a “luxury good."

People in this episode

Host: University of Chicago Podcast Network

Guest: Dana Suskind

Topics covered

• AI
• child development
• parenting
• technology
• education
• human connection

Keywords

• AI
• parenting
• child development
• human connection
• technology
• education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago

Books & works: Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI

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