Have you recently learned something new that you simply could not have mastered without technology?
For me, the digital world hasn’t just been about "technical skills." It has been a decade-long mentor in the crafts that make a home feel like a home.
In 2012, I sat with a screen and a needle, teaching myself the intricate, raised textures of Brazilian embroidery through YouTube. By 2020, that same digital guidance helped me conquer the intimidation of a sewing machine, moving from basic stitches to full projects. And just today? I stood in my kitchen, successfully making amla ka muraba for the first time in my life, guided by a video that made a traditional process feel simple.
Whether it’s SEO, video editing, or my brother learning to master the guitar and skates, technology has been our "super-power." But to my child, who thinks I was born in "ancient times," this isn't a miracle—it’s just the air he breathes.
There is a famous saying: "There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen." We are living in those weeks. AI has accelerated the world so rapidly in the last two years that it feels both exhilarating and terrifying. We are racing to keep pace, knowing that the next five years will likely reshape everything we know about work and creativity.
As a parent, this pace brings a deep, underlying anxiety. A few days ago, I used a convenient AI tool to quickly edit a photo for an urgent task. My son was watching. Later, I noticed him experimenting with the same tools, mimicking my shortcuts.
It triggered a moment of clarity: He has the "how," but he is too young for the "why." He can use the tool, but he cannot yet navigate the ethics, the safety, or the consequences of the digital world.
Here is the truth: I am not a cybersecurity expert. I don’t have the technical background to analyze every algorithm or build a "digital fortress" around my child’s curiosity. Like most parents, I am learning on the fly, trying to protect a vulnerable mind in an era of open-access power.
We need the developers and makers of these Large Language Models to do more than just innovate. We need them to build with our children in mind. We need ethical protection to be a foundation, not an afterthought.
Technology has given me the gift of embroidery and traditional recipes—but I shouldn't need a degree in computer science to keep my child safe while he explores that same world.
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