Parenting Via ChatGPT?
As the prevalence of artificial intelligence, from the general population's perspective embodied in ChatGPT, becomes more normalized, there's increasing evidence of communal acceptance. But for one group, it's scary how much it's being embrace.
In a recent article on Fox Business, a study was discussed that talked about Generation X's view of career advice from their boss. In particular, when asked if ChatGPT gave better advice than their supervisor, nearly half of Gen. Z said yes. The headline alone got my attention.
I certainly use ChatGPT every so often--not on a regular basis at all but enough. But what I use it for is fact finding. Confirmation of things that I believe, that I think I know. Helping me with attribution for data and statistics. What the Fox Business article is talking about is more along the line of personal/professional advice. I'm not smart enough, nor experienced enough, to know if there's value in this. But what's next?
Are people parenting via ChatGPT?
“ChatGPT, my child is doing X; how should I respond?”
I am a data and information hound. I’ll seek statistics, studies, and data wherever I can find them. It gives me a framework, a reference point, to use to better make decisions. Not only for myself, but for my clients. But when it comes to the basics of life, I find myself increasingly relying upon my experiential learning that I garnered from growing up with my parents. About what a good marriage is. About how to be a good parent. What hard work looks like. How to be an ethical, moral, and high character person.
Professionally, I had mentors, two in particular (Tom and Glenn) who saw more in me than I saw in myself. Who asked more of me than I thought I had to give. Who took the time to help become professionally what I am today. But from the sounds of the study regarding advice in the career, there has to be people who are using artificial intelligence, maybe through ChatGPT, to get the answers to the things I learned growing up.
First, it makes me realize how truly lucky I am… to have had that framework… to have had those experiences… to have learned not by reading but by watching and experiencing other’s behavior, firsthand knowledge.
Secondly though, how do we know the information in ChatGPT is accurate? Thus far, I found it to be fairly reliable. Remarkably so. But I'm asking for data points in healthcare, education, economics, and finance, always demanding exact attribution. I have to be honest. I'd be scared to death to ask ChatGPT about how to discipline my son or daughter.
All of this is to say that artificial intelligence and ChatGPT have a place in our life. I just believe that it should be in supporting what we're trying to accomplish and not leading the effort.
