Parenting in the Age of AI: Should Aspiring CS Students Use Generative AI Tools? My POV.
As a parent of a high schooler passionate about coding, I find myself at a crossroads. My daughter is learning to code, tinker with hardwares — starting from the basics of object oriented programming, data structure and advancing to debugging, writing test cases, and deploying code. But with the rise of generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot, AWS CodeWhisperer, Cursor AI, and Windsurf — a question looms large: Should students like her embrace these tools?
On the one hand, these AI-powered assistants can speed up coding and make learning efficient. On the other hand, there’s the fear of over-reliance, ethical concerns, and the strict policies of many schools banning such tools. But should we, as parents, simply reject these innovations? Or is there a middle ground where students can use AI responsibly and ethically?
Here is my point of view: I believe students should get exposure to these tools so they can understand their potential and learn to use them ethically. Restricting access doesn’t prevent misuse — it only limits opportunities for growth. But I am curious — what are other parents in the same boat thinking about this?
