If you have not watched this yourself, please check out the World Economic Forum Davos discussion about ‘Social Media, AI and what’s the path ahead,’ released today ( ironically on insta)! Three experts the likes of Jonathan Haidt, Bill Ready & Adam Grant discussed with Yeonjee Jenny, representing Gen Z the ‘dangers’ in a freewheeling chat which was honest and brutal in many ways as perspectives were shared.
Jonathan Haidt, professor at NYU Stern was very clear about the role that hands-on learning aids in physical and emotional development during childhood calling attention to the fact that social skills that we hope the generation amasses as they become young adults especially with the volatile worldwide geopolitical developments cannot be substituted by AI. Friendships are hard he says, and they need practice, the art of communication, accepting mistakes, learning from them, the ability to navigate conflicts which all need interaction with humans and not bots where the conversation gets one sided. These are awkward growth stories that need a bit of pain felt as a physical emotion facing another human being and not a screen.
Bill Ready of Pinterest beautifully stated that if children access his platform during school hours, they push out a prompt to remind the children about being in the moment in the classroom as a priority because that time in a classroom with real conversation matters. Adam Grant also added that AI companions or ‘friends’ as they are called are not real, and those relationships are an illusion that greatly restrict the ability for children to develop healthy relationships in the physical world as the ‘give and take,’ is much harder in the real world and it cannot be substituted in terms of an experience.
For us as educators or parents we need to recognise however that there is another perspective that comes through as Gen Z shared how they perceive LLM or AI models. They consider them as options to strengthen their relationships in the physical world, as an affirmation to what they are facing or feeling which means whether we like it or not, working with how the young minds are receiving, reacting and responding to AI needs to be analysed so that there is channelisation of this ‘power’ into becoming an enabler rather than a dependency.
I personally think that is where some restrictive laws and jammers need to come into play at the macro level like some governments have done, and more conversations at a micro level as a family or as a school.
We honestly as the ‘adults’ are not experienced at handling the this kind of exponential growth, and I know there are those among the Gen Z like my son for example that has no doubt that the AI bubble will burst but there could be far reaching effects that we may not be able to ‘burst’ easily while this ‘dot.com’ like phobia subsides.
When harnessed, and controlled and used efficiently, there are amazing benefits that technology brings that was not possible before – it is access to information, support and help to enhance learning but when this becomes a ‘guide’, a ‘mentor’, when algorithms start to dictate actions, there is a huge risk because this then happens on locked screens, and the recent trends indicate, those consuming this advice are acting on an impulse without considering all the consequences.
I feel we need more voices to work in tandem for the sake of our children, have governments work closely with school managements to provide guidance on usage; more counsellors speaking to students and parents on a regular basis and more emphasis on well being and how to self regulate, seek help and if possible have regular ‘check-ins’. We simply cannot dismiss the reasons why so many are resorting to AI friends, and help aid these physical relationships in ways that our childhood was about – more opportunities for them to be interacting device free and a great way to do that would be more ‘break’ socialising time, more team game participation, more exposure to plays and books that help with these skills, more ‘beyond-the classroom’ field trips or excursions and more time spent as a family without devices.
Progressive schools must lend their ‘voice’ about their practices and more collaboration between schools to help each other, and having experts share their experiences with students would make for more healthier relationships being built with AI rather than becoming dependent.
Thoughts?
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Fatema Agarkar, Founder and Chairperson , Agarkar Centre of Excellence (ACE)
Veteran of 3 educational start-ups , now Founder of the Agarkar Centre of Excellence, Fatema’s passion for teaching-learning and children defines the different roles she has crafted in 20 years – as an edupreneur, educator and mentor.
Fatema who is a State and University topper as part of the prestigious Mumbai based Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, holds a degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Birmingham (UK), apart from her B.ED and ECCE degrees amassed when she decided education was her calling. Having kick-started her career in the corporate world and working with premier organizations like Commerzbank, Times of India and Egon Zehnder International, she always had an inner urge to bring about an enhancement in the sphere of education..
As an educationist and life-long learner, she has come a long way to intertwine modern methods of learning, teaching and customizing education as per the student’s intellectual requisites thus eradicating stress that stems from the education system. She has been sedulous in making comprehensive alterations in the education field in India. Being a risk-taker, Fatema has been focusing on the generation of innovative educational modules and her in-depth academic know-how, nothing but truly defines her ceaseless passion. Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat, she has also been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in the years 2013 and 2015.
Fatema has been awarded by Giants Group for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in 2012, the Young Achiever’s Award in the year 2017, Singapore based, Best of Asia’s, ‘Enterprising Educator in the year 2018 and as an entrepreneur ‘Best Edupreneur 2019 and Best Leadership’ by Progressive Academic Excellence India (Maharashtra 2019) and one of the 10th finest inspirational educators in 2019 by TKR, India . Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat With close to 2 decades of experience in education, Fatema is the recipient of several honours including the Indian Achiever’s Award 2021. In July 2023, Fatema was also awarded the ‘Mumbai’s top Women Leader’ award by the CMO Asia National Awards’ (10th edition). Fatema is also a Jury Member for Cambridge School Recognition Awards 2025.
Having being associated with leading high school brands like DRS International, Hyderabad, NSS Hill Spring International, Mumbai, The Gera School, Goa, D Y Patil High School, Talegaon (Pune), SVM, Ratnagiri by the Gadre family, The Excellere World School, Gurgaon, JBCN International Schools, Mumbai, Fatema has now close to 40 pre-schools and high schools that she has set up from the grassroot level including a school for special needs’.
Fatema is on the Advisory Board of several Trusts including EduTech India, Wockhardft Foundation as well as a jury member, Education World Awards, a platform that recognizes the efforts of educators pan India. Fatema is also the Vice President for Early Childhood Association (ECA) and the Mumbai Territory Head for Association for Primary Education & Research (APER) in India. Fatema has been appointed as the global ambassador of the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club. . Fatema is on the advisory board of the All-India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and currently appointed as the National Council Member for Financial Literacy & Management by WICCI. Given her access to parents and her ability to provide age appropriate strategies to enable them to make more informed choices, Fatema’s passion remains counselling in the hope that effective parenting will enable children to benefit the most.
Fatema is also the special advisor of the Child Chapter Association (CCA), a non-governmental organisation registered as a Section 8. company under the Companies Act, 2013 whose mission is to spread awareness and eliminate child abuse, including child sexual abuse. Her role as a special advisor of CCA includes providing advice and guidance for their special outreach programs for Schools and teachers that tap into the child psyche and help them raise their voice against abuse. Fatema also played an instrumental role in the development of the CCA comic books and characters for their global campaign for child abuse awareness and prevention.
Currently, Fatema is the Advisor & Mentor to Finland International School, Race Course and on course to start her own school in 2026. As a TedX speaker, and a avid blogger, Fatema is passionate about sharing her knowledge amassed and inspiring stakeholders be it teachers, parents or students.
Her vision includes set up up of Soup Kitchens, Foster Homes and a community centre for the elderly under the Agarkar Foundation in time.
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