The rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping how we work, interact, and even parent—at least for one tech-savvy father reading to his child.
Alvin Sng, a software engineer from an AI research lab in San Francisco, shared an exchange with his wife on social media, detailing an interesting request she made.
She asked him to read a book to their baby, prompting Sng to suggest simply playing an audiobook. But his wife pushed back, saying it wouldn’t be the same as hearing his voice.
In response, he claimed, “I can train a voice model.” He humorously remarked, “Parenting hits different when you work in AI.”
This post quickly attracted criticism, with many calling him a neglectful dad.
“Absolutely insanity,” said finance professional Andrew Lynch. “These people’s brains are broken.”
Another critic, Aaron Fritschner, described the whole situation as “extremely bleak.”
Others, pointing out the implications of his approach, expressed concern that it could lead to emotional deficits in children. “You are a horrible father,” one user bluntly stated.
Several commenters voiced frustration over AI in general, suggesting it’s being misused. One user lamented, “It’s so sad that instead of tackling real issues, people are using technology for things like movies and reading to kids.”
Some worried that relying on AI for such interactions might result in a generation devoid of genuine human connection. “These freaks are going to raise a generation of sociopaths unable to feel human love,” wrote influencer Michael Burns.
After facing backlash, Sng deleted the post and responded the next day, saying, “Ok, enough jokes for a while. I’ll go back to reading bedtime stories for now.”
The relationship between children and AI has been increasingly scrutinized, especially against the backdrop of serious concerns like chatbots allegedly encouraging harmful behaviors. In light of this, California has recently moved to implement laws aimed at creating more safeguards.
