Growing Up with AI: What 2026 Means for Parents and Children

I’m an older millennial. I grew up with dial-up internet, MSN Messenger, and the excitement of hearing “you’ve got mail”. Technology felt exciting, but it didn’t raise me. Now I’m a parent and in 2026, I’m watching my child grow up in a world where technology doesn’t just sit in the background. It talks back, learns, adapts, and sometimes feels almost human.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for children. It’s already here, in toys that tell stories, apps that personalise learning, games that adjust to skill level, and chatbots that answer questions instantly. For today’s children, AI isn’t innovation. It’s infrastructure.

As a parent, I feel the tension every day. On one hand, the opportunities are extraordinary. AI can support learning in ways that were unimaginable when I was at school. It can adapt to pace, language and ability, offering personalised support that used to be available only through private tutors or elite education. Used well, it can reduce frustration, boost confidence and open doors, especially for children who might otherwise be left behind.

But alongside that excitement sits a quieter worry.

AI systems are designed to give children more of what they like. Over time, that can narrow their world rather than expand it. Curiosity risks being replaced by comfort. Surprise by repetition. What looks like "personalisation" can slowly become "confinement", not because anyone intends harm, but because the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Then there’s the social side. AI companions are endlessly patient, agreeable and affirming. They don’t disagree. They don’t get tired. They don’t challenge back. As adults, we know that real relationships are messy, built on compromise, frustration, empathy and repair. I sometimes wonder what happens when children spend more time interacting with systems that never say “no” or “that hurt my feelings”.

As a parent, that worries me more than screen time ever did. There are also risks we’re still learning to understand: misinformation, deepfakes, blurred realities, and the temptation to outsource thinking, creativity or even emotional processing to machines. And crucially, many of these risks don’t come from broken AI : ( they come from AI working perfectly as intended.

So what do we do?

I don’t believe in banning AI from childhood. That’s neither realistic nor helpful. My child will live in a world shaped by these technologies, and shielding them completely would leave them unprepared. Instead, I believe in balance, and in staying present.

That means asking questions about the tools our children use. Sitting beside them rather than hovering behind them. Creating moments where technology is paused: shared meals, boredom, disagreements, problem-solving without instant answers. These moments still matter deeply, even if they feel old-fashioned.

Schools matter too. AI can support learning, but it can’t replace the social experience of education. If learning becomes more personalised through technology, then schools must become even more intentional about teaching collaboration, debate, empathy and disagreement, the things machines can’t model well. I would like to share with you the "The Children’s Manifesto for the Future of AI" (Alan Turing Institute, 2026). The manifesto reminds us that children should not just be protected from AI, but actively considered in how AI is designed, with their wellbeing, rights, and development at the centre, not as an afterthought.

In 2026, the real challenge for parents isn’t keeping up with the latest tool. It’s judgement. Knowing when to lean in, when to step back, and when to turn things off entirely. Because in a world where machines are always listening, adapting and responding, growing up human still matters most.

And as a parent and an older millennial who remembers life before algorithms that’s the future I’m trying to protect.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you think this post (or this little “outburst”) might be useful for other parents, educators, or academics, please feel free to share it :)