{
  "id": 9157347,
  "title": "What We Tell Our Kids About AI",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/what-we-tell-our-kids-about-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-22T15:25:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/09/22/what-we-tell-our-kids-about-ai/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Between us, a family of six has children ranging in age from 12 to the oldest. They have not yet been introduced to the concept of artificial intelligence, as none of them have requested information about the technology. However, the children will eventually learn about AI and its implications. They will hear that some AI developers have expressed concerns about potential dangers, as well as predictions about job displacement in the future. Discussions will arise around truth, power, safety, and the ability of institutions to keep pace with rapid technological advancements. The family acknowledges that they cannot dismiss any of these concerns as nonsense, as the facts are undeniable. But they recognize a secondary challenge that accompanies this conversation. As the discourse around AI becomes increasingly dire, there is a risk that people may become so focused on potential negative outcomes that they overlook the positive developments taking place. This is not an endorsement of complacency; the risks are very real and require immediate action. Instead, the authors advocate for what they term as pragmatic optimism. They are part of the drug discovery industry and are witnessing firsthand how AI is transforming the landscape of medicine. Historically, drug development has been a grueling process with a failure rate of approximately 90% for therapies entering human testing. It often takes a decade or more, along with billions of dollars, to develop a successful medicine. However, AI is changing this narrative by bolstering human insight and discovery. There are now instances where a team of researchers has utilized AI to design antibodies from scratch targeting some of the most challenging medical problems. In a mere six months, another group of five scientists, employing an AI-driven experimental system, moved from an idea for a new medicine to demonstrating its unique cancer-fighting capabilities in a primate. Traditionally, such ambitious programs would require years of work from a large team of specialists. The authors emphasize that this change is not solely about the tools available for predicting human biology; it's also about the accelerated speed of the discovery process. The scientific method itself is speeding up, and the number of scientific inquiries and opportunities to advance health per dollar spent are increasing. A recent example is the personalized cancer vaccine for melanoma, developed by Merck and Moderna, which delayed the disease's progression in a clinical trial. This breakthrough, combined with AI tools and automated labs, can open up the field to more competitors, reducing uncertainty and lowering costs and time required to pursue new approaches. The authors believe that AI is at the very beginning of its transformative journey in drug discovery. Most AI-enabled drug programs in human trials last year were unsuccessful, but this doesn't negate the potential of the technology. The authors express optimism about AI's role in altering a field where progress has historically been slow. They believe that despite the dangers surrounding AI, the promise it holds for medicine and disease treatment is significant. This optimism stems from the technology's ability to alter the course of medicine, allowing for the discovery of solutions and treatments that were previously unimaginable. The authors conclude that while they are uncertain about what AI will take away from their children's generation, they are hopeful about what it might give. They see a future where diseases previously thought to be insurmountable are now being tackled, where machines are discovering possibilities beyond human comprehension, and where medicines are being developed in novel ways. The authors emphasize that these advancements, though not yet fully understood, contribute to a more promising future for the health and well-being of their children's generation. They conclude by urging leaders to approach these risks seriously and for institutions to act promptly, while also acknowledging the positive transformations AI is bringing to medicine.",
  "summary": "\"As the conversation around AI grows darker, we risk becoming so consumed by what might go wrong that we stop paying attention to what is beginning to go right,\" write Alex Karnal and Brian Kreiter.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}