The next generation of children — those born to Millennials — will have artificial intelligence (AI) technologies infiltrate nearly every aspect of their lives, from infancy to their golden years. Follow the IEEE AI timeline below to see how Generation AI will be impacted by technology in each stage of life, as they grow up and balance emotional independence with technological interdependence.
1. Infant
Welcome to the world, Generation AI! Your parents care for you… with a little help from technology.
2. Toddler
How will Generation AI learn? Using technology embedded with machine learning, of course.
4. Teen Years
Generation AI teens won't have to drive. Self-driving cars will navigate the roads for them.
5. Adulthood
Searching for love in Generation AI may be as easy as letting an algorithm find the perfect match.
6. Middle Age
Staying healthy will be easier for Generation AI with predictive technology that will reduce visits to the doctor.
7. Retirement
The golden years for Generation AI will be filled with technology that helps them stay independent and connected.
The parents of Generation AI babies will have unprecedented access to education and health information generated by AI, to help them care for their children. Generation AI’s parents will work with AI devices and gadgets to teach their babies how to speak and learn, but to also assist with all aspects of childcare. Infants will be exposed to Artificial Intelligence from the moment they are born and could learn how to interact with AI devices before they are out of their cribs.
“The advent of low-cost sensors incorporated with AI will enhance health diagnosis and medical treatments. Using virtual reality technology, doctors will be able to diagnose and correct astigmatism in an infant’s vision, or teach an autistic child to communicate.”
Karen PanettaIEEE Fellow, USAWhile infants will continue to be primarily dependent on their parents, increased prevalence of machine learning and artificial intelligence will set the stage for a life of interdependence on connected devices. Generation AI will be defined by this increased interdependence with smart technology.
“While there are so many wonderful benefits awaiting Generation AI, these benefits come with great challenges for their parents. Parents will need tools, like voice-activated password protection, so that children aren’t completely dependent on AI at all times.
Methods of teaching social and interpersonal skills will need to evolve to adapt to Generation AI ‘s overwhelming number of virtual relationships.”
This baby monitor uses AI to track sleep patterns.
According to a new study, a majority of Millennial parents (80 percent) say AI technology increases their expectations that their babies will learn faster and more than they did, while for 20 percent, expectations are the same or less.
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
A team at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has detected brain growth changes linked to autism in children as young as six months old.
As Generation AI starts to walk and talk, technology embedded with AI will help them learn. Toddlers will have toys, robots and other devices that will help raise and teach them.
“Toddlers will benefit from any kind of robotic toy with AI capabilities. This could be a full-time nanny to help keep toddlers engaged and also take care of them. Using built-in cameras as well as voice recognition capabilities in these AI toys can help parents raise their Generation AI toddlers.”
Sukanya MandalIEEE Member, IndiaToys that can respond to children’s questions and requests while teaching them already exist. Toddlers can be more independent with their learning and playtime when AI toys are present.
“AI can help small kids by being their personalized teacher and help them in their studies with a personalized curriculum. AI bots can be a friend to kids, nurturing them and helping them grow up with a positive attitude.”
Toddlers will start to become more independent from their parents as they start to rely on technology instead. “Since they would get instant answers to their problems, they may not need to think about finding a solution.”
Robots will assist teachers.
Three-quarters (74 percent) of Millennial parents would consider an AI tutor for their child.
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
MIT’s Personal Robotics Group has been one of the driving forces behind social robotics since… well, since they pretty much invented social robotics.
Generation AI will converse with AI gadgets and assistants to get help with homework, play games, and even listen to stories. Children will not need to ask their parents and teachers for help — they’ll learn to depend on AI devices for the answers they seek.
“AI has the potential to transform completely the way kids learn, interact and get information. AI will become smarter and, in certain cases, more intelligent than an average human. In this sense, a gadget or bot could easily replace a human in some specific kids’ activities and tasks.”
Edson PrestesIEEE Member, BrazilGeneration AI will grow up having conversations with AI beings, like voice-activated digital assistants, which are already learning to understand the nuances in children’s voices for more seamless interaction. The kids of generation AI will rely on AI-powered nannies, tutors, teachers, and friends.
“What kind of society will this create? Certainly, a kid raised in this scenario will be independent of their parents, but they might depend on the technology. We must assure technology is used to improve society in order to have great future, otherwise, we will create a more selfish generation.”
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Early childhood AI technology already hitting the market. Aristotle by Nabi. Source: Nabi
Forty percent of Millennial parents say they’d be likely to supplement or replace a human nanny with a stay-at-home robo-nanny to help take care of their children
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
Nowadays, children are becoming familiar with computer technology at a very early age. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) offer sophisticated tutoring methods using artificial intelligence techniques in computer programs to facilitate instruction.
Getting a driver’s license may be a milestone that Generation AI’s teenagers will never experience. Self-driving cars equipped with AI will rule the roads. With no need to be behind the wheel, a teenager will rely on AI rides to get them to and from their destinations.
Self-driving cars are the future of transportation, and Generation AI will be able to reap the benefits.
“Car manufacturers will begin removing what were once necessary driver interfaces: steering wheel, brake pads, mirrors, turning signals, etc. Although this sounds worrisome, there is clear evidence that our roads will be safer when driverless cars are present, as opposed to human-operated vehicles.”
Alexander WyglinskiIEEE Senior Member, USAGeneration AI teenagers will get into a car that knows the roads and can avoid obstacles. With human error removed from the equation, Generation AI may never know about traffic jams or worry about car accidents.
“With the continued integration of AI/machine learning in vehicles, some great benefits to the car riding experience will be mobility for populations otherwise unable to drive — like teenagers and the visually impaired — and transportation will be more ‘green’ by optimizing the drive to minimize emissions and for extended battery life.”
With new-found independence from their parents, teenagers will be relying on AI to drive them around, which in turn creates a new dependence on self-driving car technology.
Self-driving AI technology. Source: Heydt/VWPics/AP Photo
Millennial parents are slightly more nervous about their child driving for the first time alone (31 percent) than their child riding in a self-driving car alone for the first time (25 percent). However, 44 percent of parents are equally worried about both scenarios.
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
Today’s driver assistants are laying the groundwork for autonomous cars.
Could love at first sight be a thing of the past? Generation AI will have help searching for the perfect partner using apps or AI services that use algorithms.
“For future generations looking for love or friendship, AI-induced personal matchmaking will be the obvious choice. Intuitive AI will leverage data points from various dating networks and social platforms, scraping specified qualities, interests and preferences that an individual has available, cross-referencing it with a database of thousands if not millions of other seekers, and then pushing that information out automatically to compatible parties.”
Tom CoughlinIEEE Senior Member, USAIn the quest for building a romantic relationship, there are many variables that can inhibit the process. While there have been advances in tech that help with the search, adding AI can make more intelligent matches for Generation AI.
“AI will allow customized introductions, filtered matches and result in a fully-automated dating experience. This could very well be the way the majority of people meet, greet, interact, date and ultimately find a partner under the powerful influence of AI and machine learning.”
AI helps creates matches for online daters.
Different from traditional user-item recommendations where the goal is to match items (e.g., books, videos, etc) with a user’s interests, a recommendation system for online dating aims to match people who are mutually interested in, and likely to communicate with, each other.
As Generation AI gets older, more health problems may arise. AI is already hard at work in the medical field diagnosing and predicting illnesses; robots are even helping perform surgeries. Generation AI will become dependent on technology to help keep them healthy in middle age.
“Artificial intelligence has great applicational potential for middle-aged people. For example, computer vision technology can be used to monitor their daily medicine consumption, to ensure they consume the accurate amount and types of medications.”
Xiaokang YangIEEE Senior Member, ChinaMedical devices will also help diagnose Generation AI’s diseases. They’ll visit doctor’s offices less, and through the use of AI, will be diagnosed and treated for illnesses.
“In the healthcare industry, Artificial Intelligence has been applied to the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. By accumulating a large amount of image data about lung cancer as detected by CT scans, deep learning algorithms of AI applications can study and determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. In the future, Artificial Intelligence will also analyze gene sequences for humans to provide more healthcare solutions.”
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AI is being used to accurately diagnose treatment for cataracts.
Two in five Millennial parents (39 percent) have either complete or a great deal of trust in AI to help diagnose and treat their children. Almost half (46 percent) have some trust.
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
A team in China has demonstrated that AI also has the potential to aid medical diagnoses in situations where there is limited high-quality data available.
When Generation AI hits their golden years, they’ll become even more dependent on AI to help them complete everyday tasks. AI will also help alleviate some of the loneliness that comes with advancing age. AI companions that understand how to interact with elderly people can help Generation AI be more social at this stage in life.
“Socially assistive robots (SARs) have the potential to deliver supervision, cognitive assistance, entertainment and companionship for elderly groups. Supervision schemes involve classical caregiving activities where the human caregiver visits an elderly person regularly.
In addition, robotic supervision could take forms of telerobotics, where a human operator, caregiver or nurse can establish video conferences directly into someone’s home and control a SAR in real time to check in. Sensing sources could be used to identify patterns and predict probable scenarios related to the individual’s health. In cognitive assistance, a SAR can remind elderly people about their daily medications and tasks.”
Antonio EspingardeiroIEEE Member, USAAs Generation AI becomes older, having interactions with an AI companion is a great way to help them stay independent. The AI can use machine learning to understand the specific needs of the individual, and can help them interact socially through the use of games and conversation.
“For entertainment, robots could deliver activities such as haptic interfaces, play cognitive exercises (games), play music or perform choreographies. Such features are likely to reinforce people’s motivation, which is crucial in elderly care.”
About two-thirds of Millennial parents (63 percent) would rather have AI help them live independently in their golden years, while just 37 percent prefer to rely on their own children.
Source: “Generation AI: A Study of Millennial Parents of Generation Alpha”
Jibo functions like the Amazon Echo virtual assistant, only with a personality. Like the Echo, Jibo can easily be carried into another room.
