IN today’s digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has quietly entered our homes as a new ‘family member’. It answers questions, offers advice and provides emotional reassurance whenever asked. While this convenience is remarkable, it also presents a growing psychological challenge. Increasingly, young people are turning to AI instead of parents, teachers or trusted elders for guidance, emotional support and even important life decisions. As the trend grows, the influence of families and the emotional bonds that connect generations risk becoming weaker.
There was a time when a young person facing uncertainty would naturally seek advice from parents or elders. Those conversations offered more than infor-mation. They provided wisdom, compassion and reassurance rooted in love and life experience. In the process, they strength-ened trust and family relationships.
Today, however, AI is changing that pattern. Unlike human beings, it is available round the clock, responds within seconds, never grows impatient, and offers calm, consistent and matter-of-fact answers. For many young people, especially those who fear criticism or misunderstanding, AI is the easier option.
Although family bonds remain one of the greatest strengths of our society, smartphones and AI-powered chatbots are changing things fast. AI is a valuable technological tool, but it should never replace the emotional warmth of a family. Feeling stressed and afraid of disappointing one’s family, a matriculation student may spend hours asking an AI chatbot how to manage anxiety, improve concentration and plan studies. The advice may well be pretty useful, but it cannot replace the empathy and warmth of parents and elders if they know what one is going through and what the confusing mess is all about.
A university student facing academic pressure, career uncertainty and financial concerns spends the night talking to an AI chatbot, which offers encouragement and practical coping strategies. The conversation helps the questioner feel calmer, but emotional reassurance by machines can never match the kind one gets from people who genuinely love and care.
The emotional cost of this silent tech-nological shift is enormous. A parent’s guidance is not merely information; it carries love, sacrifice, experience and genuine concern. AI may offer useful advice, but it cannot replace the comforting embrace, shared memories and, above all, unconditional love that define human relationships.
As AI becomes woven into everyday life, the responsibilities of parents and teachers become even more important. Providing food, education and material comforts is no longer enough. Children also need time, attention, empathy and meaningful conversation. Parents should make space each day to listen without judgment and create an environment where children feel safe discussing their fears, mistakes and uncertainties.
Teachers, too, should see themselves not only as educators, but as mentors who help students navigate the emotional challenges of modern life.
If our young people cannot find under-standing and support within their own families, they will naturally seek it else-where, and AI will often become the easiest option. Likewise, if parents increasingly depend on digital devices to keep their children occupied, the emotional distance between generations will continue to grow.
Imran Rafi
Karachi
Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026
