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"Why would I spend time bonding with my kid when I can just get an AI to do it for me?"
(lemmy.world)
this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2026
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Fuck AI
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I have a few friends who use OpenAI and Gemini to do this (generate new stories every night) and I do not understand why you would do so. There are a bazillion kids books out there. Just get ten of those and your kid will be happy for ten months!
Ten? They'll fixate on one that'll you'll need to read so often that you don't need the actual book anymore
Or you could make a story up 😄
one of my kids loves when I tell them a made up story. I always find my stories lame and lacking didactic value when I compare them to professional audiobook stories. But when having the choice, my kid prefers my made up stories. I can't say no to that.
Or tell a story of your wild & sordid youth & make it sound made up.
"Aaaand that's how i met your mum, kids."
Why do you need an AI to do that? My grandpa used to let us just make up what we wanted to hear a story about and tell a story about that. I do the same. Its not hard. It doesnt have to be the most minted story in history.
Most people do not have an imagination.
Sadly fewer and fewer, and those imaginations lesser and lesser.
The digital world is not freedom, is a limitation of options, engagement, and pathways.
there is so lovely media out there… often artists/storywriters who are parents themselves. there is no other niche that I know of where you can feel the love they put in in so many works. This makes me almost want to have kids. Well or at least become a children’s book author lol
I can imagine some reasons they would opt for this. First, the AI is always there so they don't have to do put in any effort at all in acquiring the story. Second they could make the stories tailored to what they want to teach their kid - regular kids books usually have decent morals and lessons for helping the kid become a better person and a lot of AI aficionados don't want that.
Good one.
Childrens books are expensive. A 20 pages one cost the same amount like a 700 pages roman.
We use the library but cant go there every week.
Thinking is hard after full workday + 6h intense childcare. Youll see what i mean when you have kids and do it without screentime. Zero.
Taking a hard stance against screen time while recruiting AI to do your parenting. Ok
You could try thrifting :3
Also, you've assumed that:
A, this person wants to have kids, and
B, that this person does not have kids.
If you’re in the U.K., The Works will sell you 10 children’s books for £10, which is less than one hour of work at minimum wage for an adult.
I certainly wouldn't buy all our kids books brand new.
I do buy a couple of the hard cover classics.
I buy a heap from thrift stores. This is probably the majority.
We go to the library when we can.
I also pirate and print some.
Do you not have access to books from when you were a kid? That's what mom did until she could buy new books.
No.
Libraries near me don't require you to actually go to the building to get a book. You can borrow an e-book using an app. It's not the greatest way (especially if your kid likes picture books or is that age where a lot of children's books are just picture books). But it doesn't require you to go to the library every day or even every week.
There's also no law saying you have to read to your child every night. But offloading parenting onto AI just because you're tired and want to limit their screen time. But I've gotten books, toys, movies, games, TV shows from other parents who's kids have aged out of those items a fair few times in my life. I don't think it counts as limiting screen time to have the bot read your kid a story.
Yes I have a kid. We are both special needs which means that a lot of parenting is challenging on its face.
Every child is hell in their own special way but not every day is going to be 6h 'intensive' childcare. Unless you've got an intellectually challenged child, you're going to have some days where it's easier and some where it's harder.
And, if they make it hard enough, they go to bed without a story. They cry and scream and they learn, then maybe tomorrow they'll just be hard instead of too hard.
Expensive new maybe, but...
Secondhand shops. Both online and offline.
Charity/ thrift shops.
Places like Vinted and eBay.
Ask relatives and friends for books instead of yet another toy.
I’ve seen so many sales at the library, where books are sold for a few cents each.
Interesting you used roman for novel. Are you Ukrainian or Russian? Edit: I see this is the same in a lot of languages. Could be German.
Swedes call longer stories on prose "Romaner", and we call short stories, novellas, novelletes "Noveller".
I like languages, and am interested in the propagation of them, hence the question. Thanks for that. In English, ‘novella’ has persisted as a term for a shorter story/novel.
Huh, I was wondering what they meant by “roman.” TIL.