Don’t Want to Spend Time With Your Kids? Train an AI Voice Model of Yourself to Read Them Bedtime Stories
Parent-child bonding time isn't so sacred that it can't be optimized with AI. The post Don’t Want to Spend Time With Your Kids? Train an AI Voice Model of Yourself to Read Them Bedtime Stories appeared first on Futurism .
Parenting presents numerous challenges. Some individuals strive to streamline certain aspects of raising their children, even if it comes at the cost of forming deep emotional connections. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has admitted to relying on ChatGPT for parenting, suggesting that an AI-generated podcast can substitute for the "how was your day" conversation one typically has with their child during carpool.
However, recent developments in AI parenting technology take this trend to an extreme. Alvin Sng, a software engineer at Factory AI, shared an account of his attempt at delegating reading bedtime stories to an AI voice model. His wife expressed concern that the audiobook wouldn't be his own voice, but Sng proposed an alternative solution – training a voice model himself.
He wrote a blog post for his audience, highlighting the importance of AI in modern parenting. While babies may not comprehend the spoken words, their early exposure to a father's voice is crucial for establishing emotional bonds. The desire to automate such fundamental interactions appears to lack foresight. The AI industry's obsession with optimizing every facet of life raises concerns about the value placed on genuine human interactions.
Netizens responded with outrage to Sng's story, questioning why he wouldn't choose to read to his baby willingly instead of resorting to an AI alternative. Sociologist Jess Calarco criticized the mentality, suggesting that men prefer inventing technology to replace human caregiving duties rather than actively participating in parenting.
Despite these reservations, some parents are indeed embracing AI. A mother even created an AI clone of herself so her son could converse with it while she was away for work. Meta is developing an AI app called "StoryKit" that generates and reads personalized bedtime stories for children. Alvin Sng, already an AI enthusiast, described his child's birth as an opportunity to "spawn a human" using technology.
Written by urgent.news from Futurism's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
