u/Round-Sand-593

We actually chose an Amazon Echo Dot Kids for our home because it felt like one of the safer options. It had good parental controls, the answers were simple, and honestly, Alexa wasn't very good at searching the internet. That was exactly what we wanted. A basic voice assistant, not an AI chatbot.

Now Amazon has turned it into an AI companion. That's a completely different product from the one we originally decided to bring into our home.

What frustrates me most is that we were never told this was happening. It was just updated, including on devices specifically marketed for children. I'm not against kids using AI. I actually think it can be a great tool for learning. But I don't want AI designed to be a companion for my child. I want it to be a tool.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but this feels like a much bigger change than a normal software update. Has anyone else with an Echo Dot Kids device looked into this? How are you handling it? Are you keeping it, changing the settings, or considering getting rid of it?

I'm a mom who works in tech, and when I saw my own kids using AI, I started going down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what I should actually be concerned about.

The more I learned, the more I felt that completely banning it probably isn't realistic. Kids are going to have to learn how to use this stuff.

But I also don't want AI doing the thinking for them, replacing their own voice, or becoming something they turn to instead of people.

I'm curious how other parents are approaching it. Have you come up with any rules around AI that actually work in your house?
Or are you still figuring it out too?