How AI helped me explain “Presence” to a two year old
The future of AI reveals itself in everyday use.
Recently, I was reading “The Dragons Are Singing Tonight” to my two-year-old son before bedtime. This book, a favourite from my childhood, is often among the 4-10 books he chooses each night.
In the first poem, the Amiable Dragon says, “Do not tremble at my presence.”
Finishing that page, my son asks: “Where are the dragon’s presents?” Realising the phonetic mix-up, I pondered how to explain “presence.”
I was stumped for a definition, particularly one suitable for a two-year-old. It’s harder than you think! I started a few times with thoughts around the philosophical and existential, awareness and mindfulness, charisma and impact….. That wasn’t really working.
So I turned to the GPT App with the query: “How to explain the term ‘presence’ to a two-year-old.” Despite my usual rule of not using my phone around him, curiosity got the better of me. (GPT's answer below)
The response, while not groundbreaking, sparked ideas to get out of my own head. It helped me connect with my son on a simpler level of the word. Defining words is another way to do my favourite thing with him: explore! Seeing his face light up with pride when understanding something new is one of my favourite things.
The irony of momentarily disconnecting to explain 'presence' is not lost on me.
Post-bedtime, I realised the practicality of using GPT this way hints at the future. It's a straightforward tool that delivers quicker results than a Google search — for this kind of question anyway. While not a panacea, it provides a glimpse into the potential of AI in everyday life.
I’ve noticed myself gravitating to GPT for these types of questions. The reason for it is that there is so much content online — so much of it is garbage. Some of that garbage is accidental and written by people who don’t know better. Some of it is cynical misinformation on ad-farms. Discerning quality content from the bad usually yields better results than relying on GPT's potential inaccuracies (hallucinations). But for certain things where I can recognise a good response, it is easier to use a LLM.
The irony is, that LLM’s are already being used to exponentially grow bogus content on ad-farms and elsewhere — now the cost of content has gone from ‘Free + Human Time’ to just ‘Free.’ These tools, therefore, will likely render vast swathes of the internet untrustworthy (they already are). What is the current mechanism that’s making the quality of the current output I’m seeking better than Google? Can that be maintained as we get swamped with nonsensical generated articles? Or will the echo chamber just create worse responses there too and all we have are real, verified spaces: trusted news outlets and research organisations?
My hope: the changes happen quickly enough for us to notice, because only then can we perceive this change and look at it critically.
Considering this, what does our future look like? I see the following options but would appreciate some thoughts here (from humans please): We’re only using trusted sources online and they’re getting proper funding. Or complete post-truth and post-trust apocalypse. Or the internet is completely useless so we experience a proper post-lockdown whiplash and maximise human connection. Or other wild consequences of Artificial General Intelligence?
Let me know, I am keen to help educate my son for his future.
Here’s what ChatGPT suggested to help explain “presence” to a toddler:
Explaining the concept of "presence" to a two-year-old can be a fun and engaging task, Tom. At this age, children learn best through simple language and concrete examples. Here's how you might approach it:
Use Familiar Objects: Pick something the child likes, such as a favourite toy. Show it to them and say, “This toy is here with us. It’s present.” Then, hide the toy and say, “Now, the toy is not here. It’s not present.”
Play a Game of Peek-a-Boo: This game illustrates presence and absence in a way that’s very understandable to a young child. When you cover your face, you can say, “I’m not here,” and when you reveal your face, say, “Here I am! I’m present!”
Reference Family Members: Mention people they know and see often, like yourself or a sibling. You can say, “Mummy is here now, she’s present,” or “When we can’t see Daddy, he’s not present; he’s somewhere else.”
Use Simple Words: Keep your language basic and repetitive. Words like “here” and “not here” can be easier for them to grasp than “present” and “absent.”
Physical Interaction: Hug them and say, “I’m here with you, I’m present.” This physical connection reinforces the concept.
Remember, repetition and consistency are key at this age. It might take a few examples and some time for the concept to fully sink in.