AI-Enabled Parental Controls

Recently I came across a story that describes how AI is now being used to help parents set controls based on age, the maturity of the child and how the child is using information online.

We already know that AI is baked into our computers and cell phones and is essentially spying on us sending the information back to the makers of the device. That is concerning enough but it is now served up as a ‘helpful’ aide for parents to help with parental controls.

A phone for kids has been devised that claims it will protect your children by using AI controls that allow you to set parameters and change them as the child ages. They are trying to keep allowing the child to use the phone but be diverted to more enlightening and appropriate content.

How do they do that? The only way would be to spy on what the child is watching and see where the conversation, search and more is going to divert the child before it becomes an issue.

For reference, the story is by Gabe Ruiz dated February 24, 2025 entitled: ‘Controls: What’s Next for Child-Safe Technology?’ and enlightens us about this new phone for kids called Pinwheel. They also have Pinwheel GPT which is another AI assistant that I referred to.

These stories about AI developments are meant to engage us since all new AI developments are of interest to most people. But the hidden dangers in this do not seem to be indicated which is why I am bringing this to your attention.

It is not clear how much influence the AI is going to have since it is interpreting what is going on with your child. This is not just the old set it and forget it controls like before. The parent is supplying the guidelines but how will it be interpreted.

And to be clear, how much are you willing to hand over the future of your child to the influence of a machine? It does not make me comfortable.