I’d just spent the morning creating AI images for my online newsletter. They were eye-catching despite my nonexistent art skills. I turned the laptop screen toward my daughter.
“What do you think?” I asked.
She’s a 16-year-old art student considering a career in the arts. I thought she’d be impressed with the whimsical watercolors. Instead, she scrolled through them in silence before facing me, her usual smile gone.
“AI art is terrible,” she said.
Until then, I thought I understood her perspective on AI. We’d talked about it and shared a lot of the same views, yet I had no idea she was completely against it.
My surprise led to weeks of conversations with her, and a realization about why I hadn’t known. I’d been too busy figuring out my own stance while trying to make sure she understood its pros and cons.
Once I sat back and fully listened to her concerns, I had to admit: I agreed.
The problems with AI are much more complicated than I originally thought
When my daughter shared her opinion about AI art, my initial thought was that the images looked pretty good. Thankfully, I kept that one to myself. Instead, I asked what she meant.
She pointed out flaws such as blurriness. She also said she struggled to connect with the images because they felt “empty.” The way that she described it struck a chord. I’d used similar words to describe AI writing after quality-checking AI content in a prior job.
Back then, I had no experience with AI and was curious to see what it could do. But soon after working with it, I grew to loathe the writing patterns and hours of editing time. Despite my frustration, I continued to experiment and discovered it was helpful for tasks at home.
I’d shared many of these experiences with my daughter as they happened, while we were both developing opinions about AI. I must have talked too much about my own thoughts; I hadn’t fully heard hers.
After that realization, I promised myself I’d do better
I started listening more, and my daughter shared concerns she’d picked up from the media and from our lives.
After school one day, she shared how AI was used in ways that felt wrong. Kids used it to do their homework. A teacher used it to create a test, and the wording had confused students. She wondered about its environmental impact. When she worried that artists would lose commissions because of AI art, I felt guilty for creating my own.
Most of the concerns she mentioned weren’t new to me, but seeing them through her lens broadened my perspective and prompted me to dig deeper and learn more. Our conversations lingered in my mind.
Soon, every time I used AI, I thought of how its use might affect her and the future. I admired her for sticking to her values, and wondered if I could do the same.
Over the course of our conversations, I decided to stop using AI to create art, and then to stop using it altogether.
I’ve replaced AI with new skills and have a stronger relationship with my teen
With AI art no longer an option, I talked with my daughter about the best ways to find or make images. I’d always admired watercolors and wondered if I could learn to paint my own.
“You totally should,” she said, and offered to help me learn.
Now, when we’re in the mood, we share a sofa and paint together. Sometimes we stream a show in the background, but usually we just chat about what’s on our minds. It’s been a wonderful, natural way to connect while doing something we both enjoy.
As her mom, I’m used to being the one who gives guidance and answers questions, but painting — much like our difficult conversations about AI — reflects a shift in that dynamic now that she’s older.
Whether I’m having trouble creating a certain shade of paint or drawing an object, she helps me figure it out. It feels strange to look to my daughter for advice. I try not to bug her with too many questions, and she has fun teasing me about my endless mistakes. It’s made our relationship stronger, and is also a reminder that our roles are changing.
We continue to talk about AI and understand it isn’t going anywhere. We’ve discussed how it’s woven into so many work and online spaces now that it’s already hard to avoid. Still, seeing her conviction and the principles of so many kids her age gives me hope that we’ll figure it out together.
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