My five-year-old daughter has a smartwatch. Let me start there, because I know some parents will judge me for it, and honestly? I get it. I’ve judged myself a time or two.

I got it as a gift, and on trips to the park, when she zooms off toward the slide and disappears behind a climbing structure, I can glance at my phone and see that little dot on the map. She’s safe. She’s exactly where she should be. For a mom who’s spent five years perfecting the art of hyper-vigilance, that little dot is a gift. It shows you exactly where your kid is, even to the point of knowing exactly which floor of a building she’s on. We’ve barely touched any of the other features, though, and boy, there are a lot… For us, it’s purely a tracker, and on that front, it delivers exactly what I hoped for.

But here’s what I’ve noticed watching other families navigate these devices: the features you don’t use don’t just disappear. They sit there, dormant, waiting for the moment your child discovers them and, worse, gets addicted to them.

I’ve watched kids on the playground compare friend counts like they’re a playground commodity. “You only have three friends on your watch? I have fifteen!” It’s basically a pre-smart phone follower count culture for little kids. They’re comparing digital friend lists like teens compare social media followers. Except they don’t have the emotional maturity to understand why that feels lousy when you’re on the losing end. We spend years teaching our kids that friendship isn’t a numbers game, and then we strap a device to their wrist that turns it into exactly that.

I’ve overheard after-school calls between elementary school kids that went on far longer than any conversation between kids their age should. At that age, kids are still learning how to navigate friendships face-to-face. They need to spend time with their family after school. They don’t need the added complexity of unsupervised calls when no adult can hear what’s being said or guide the conversation.

And the photos. These watches make it effortless to snap and share pictures. I’m sure you’ve been to events where kids are holding up their wrists, recording like they’re in the old James Bond movies. But five-year-olds don’t understand privacy yet. They don’t yet understand that just because you can photograph someone doesn’t mean you should.

I worry about addiction, too. Not in the dramatic, “my child is glued to a screen” way, but I watch how other kids gravitate toward their watches. How they check them. It’s the same behavior I see in myself when my phone buzzes, and I don’t like seeing that loop start so early.

Here’s the truth I’m still sitting with: I’m not ready to take the watch away, because I’m not ready to give up that little dot on the map. The safety feature works exactly as advertised. It soothes a primal fear that lives in the back of every parent’s mind.

But I also don’t like what else came along for the ride.

So for now, we’re keeping it simple. The watch stays, at least until I figure out something better.

Maybe that’s the real work of parenting in 2026. Not choosing between technology and no technology, but figuring out how to hold both the safety and the complication and make peace with the fact that we’re all figuring it out as we go.

What are your thoughts on kids today and smartphones? Better yet, if you’ve got a better solution, don’t gate keep them to yourself!

To the parents and teens of today,

We spend a tremendous amount of time and energy preparing our youth for the future. We enroll them in advanced classes, encourage participation in clubs and sports, and help them build impressive academic résumés. Yet there is a critical, often overlooked component of their development that cannot be taught in a classroom or found in a textbook: the real-world internship.

It’s time we champion the immense value of these experiences, not as a line on a college application but as a fundamental rite of passage into the realities of work, character and self-reliance.

Let me backtrack a bit. We run an F&B business, and each summer, college interns flood to us to practice what they’ve learned in school. And while some are excellent, the majority of these young adults are relatively clueless, and we need to train them on everything from practical skills like how to cut food to critical thinking skills like how to respond to guest complaints. It never ceases to surprise me the situations the interns get themselves into.

An internship is the vital bridge between theory and practice. In school, a student learns about supply and demand in economics class. In an internship, they see it play out in a frantic retail holiday season or in a startup’s pricing strategy meeting. This application of knowledge transforms abstract concepts into tangible skills, cementing learning in a way that lectures never could.

But the lessons go far beyond the technical. Perhaps one of the most profound, if uncomfortable, takeaways is the understanding of workplace dynamics. The classroom is, by design, a supportive environment where teachers are incentivized to see you succeed. The real world operates differently. An internship teaches a young person that not every colleague will be a mentor and not every instruction is given out of pure kindness. They learn to navigate different personalities, to discern constructive criticism from mere negativity, and to understand that in a professional setting, people are ultimately driven by shared goals and outcomes not just goodwill.

Sixth Tone recently shared a story about how each summer, students by the thousands are scammed into fake factory jobs from all over the country. “Students are easy to scam out of their money. They’re new to the workforce, have no experience, and are easily tempted by high salaries,” one recruiter shared with Sixth Tone in their article.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: unpaid internships.

When I was in high school, it took me a while to wrap my head around the idea that I’d be providing free labor to a company. This is a complex and often contentious issue. While the ethical debate around fair compensation is valid and important, it’s also worth considering the perspective of the employer, especially when dealing with students who have absolutely zero experience.

An intern with no prior work experience is not simply “free labor.” For an employer, they represent a significant investment of time and resources. Senior employees must pause their own work to train, supervise and correct. There is a tangible risk assumed by the company for mistakes made by someone who is, by definition, still learning. The effort poured into mentoring a green intern and the potential for errors often offset the cost of an actual salary. This arrangement, when structured correctly as a true learning experience, can be a fair exchange: The intern gains invaluable, career-launching experience, and the company invests in cultivating future talent.

The currency of an internship is not dollars and cents; it is experience, perspective and a transformed mindset. A teen who has navigated a real office, dealt with a difficult client, or met a tight deadline enters the world with a different operating system. They think differently. They are more adaptable, more pragmatic and more valuable as future hires than their peers who lack this exposure.

They aren’t just learning how to do a job; they are learning how to be in the world.

So, let’s encourage our teens to seek out these opportunities. Let’s urge local businesses to create them. Let’s shift the conversation from viewing internships as a luxury for the privileged or a source of cheap labor to recognizing them as an essential part of a modern education.

Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Sincerely,
An Advocate for Practical Experience

Images: Freepik, Sixth Tone, What’s Trending

We have all seen those bullies on TV – the ones who physically attack innocent new kids in the school. Well, in the playgrounds of parks and compounds, some kids are lethal in terms of their verbal and physical abuse of other children. On TV, you often see parents disciplining their own child but not other people’s children. In China, however, most parents do try to educate and correct other people’s children if they have wronged their own child. But should they be doing that?

Speaking from experience, I know what it is like to be cyberbullied. I remember clearly that once during PE class, we were playing tag, and when I chased a girl down the field, I accidentally tripped her, and she scraped her knee. She got really mad, and even after I apologized to her, she swore and then walked away to the teacher, saying that she needed to go to the nurse. I thought that was it and the issue was over. However, little did I know, she publicly started insulting me in Chinese on her WeChat Moments, saying that she wanted to cut off my legs and other physical threats. Luckily, I had a friend who had her WeChat and took a screenshot of the Moments post and asked me what had happened between us. After I told her what had happened, she was the only friend who empathized with me throughout the process and cared about what had happened.

That evening, my mom asked in a parent group chat which member was the parent of the girl who bullied me, and after we added her, my mom sent her mom the screenshot of the girl’s Moments. Later, we were in a call together and the girl apologized to me (or at least I think she did). It doesn’t matter to me if she actually felt sorry, but it surprised me how ugly things can be and how lethal teenagers my age can be.

In terms of physical abuse, I unfortunately also have an experience. It was back in first grade, and it was during recess. The elementary school principal was playing soccer with me and the other first graders, and the team that I was on won. I celebrated my victory, but then got hit in the legs or somewhere by a boy in my class. I did not know what to do because I was the new student in the grade, and I did not yet have any friends around me who would speak up for me. The principal saw me getting physically abused by that boy, and fortunately, the boy later apologized to me.

But the boy was infamous for physically abusing others. He had already gotten himself into trouble multiple times before for hitting other people at school, but the main reason for the occurrence of his actions was because of domestic violence in his family, which resulted in him using similar methods of violence on his peers. Even though all the parents of the children in my grade knew that his family was going through a rough time in terms of the relationship between his father and mother, the parents whose children got abused by him did not hesitate when it came to bringing up the issue to his parents and trying to educate that boy.

Before writing this article, I did not know that in some countries other than China, parenting other people’s children may not be as common, because from my experience, my parents never hesitated to put another kid in their place. I had a friend back in kindergarten who asked me which university I wanted to go to in the future, and I said that I wanted to go to Harvard (like every other child when they were in kindergarten). She immediately responded, “Only smart kids can go to Harvard.” I was silent because I didn’t know what to say, but my mom replied, “So, do you think you are smarter than Margaret?” which made her go silent.

So, what do you think? If your child is getting bullied at school, would you step in or let them deal with it on their own? If you’ve been bullied and want to share your experience and how you handled it, get in touch with our editor Mina Yan, at Wilhelmina87 on WeChat to share your story. You can remain anonymous if you want. It’s important for you to know that you can speak up and for others going through something similar to know they’re not alone.

Images: Pexels,  Freepik

I have attended seven Model United Nations (MUN) conferences; I have chaired two of those and won awards as a delegate in four. However, out of those conferences, there was only one I have gone to another city to attend, and that is BCISMUN II, the one I have attended most recently and the one that plays a significant role in my heart.

MUN used to be one of my fears that I loved. Why? Because I have a stutter, and MUN is heavily based on public speaking, diplomatic communication, and debate, which used to be one of my worst nightmares in the first conferences I went to.

I still remember so vividly at my second conference, because I was still new to the THIMUN procedure and was surrounded by extremely competitive delegates, I performed poorly and stumbled over most of my words in almost every single speech I have made. A delegate at the conference even personally attacked me, which did not even result in her getting a strike. However, that conference taught me a valuable lesson, which is to always speak up for yourself and never give up on trying to get your voice heard.

The next few conferences were much better; I at least got the technique of how to craft good and impactful speeches, and how to be outstanding in a conference. I was in seventh grade when the first BCISMUN was hosted, and I did what previous conferences taught me: Be active, speak a lot, and try to lead the debate with what I can do. However, the quality of my speeches and the professionalism of the amendments I made were not as good yet, which made me only get an honorable mention and not Outstanding or Best Delegate. I also learned the lesson of not rushing the process as being a chair requires an abundance of experience in being a delegate, and it always takes time to accumulate experience. However, I never forgot my ultimate goal for MUN, which was to chair at conferences and to lead the committee, and I have always applied to be chair at conferences, but not all of my applications were passed, until the last conference I participated in 2024, which was the World Youth MUN hosted by BWYA, which was the first time I chaired for a committee. It was a great experience as my confidence of being a chair in a conference outweighs my confidence in being a delegate in a conference.

Due to my chairing addiction, I thought that it was perhaps time for me to chair again in 2025. However, because I had just moved to a new school in a new city, I did not know what conferences were for me, and that gave me the first impression of Guangdong being a MUN desert (but after some research I realized that the annual Yale MUN China and Harvard MUN China are both in Guangdong, so perhaps it is not a desert). But I still feel so attached to my Beijinger identity, as you can probably tell from my love of food in Beijing, so why not take this opportunity of going to a conference as a chance to go back to Beijing? I then applied for a position to chair this year’s BCISMUN, which I thankfully got. After a long persuasion process, my parents finally agreed to let me go, and the day of the conference soon arrived. Before I knew it, the two-day conference was over, but now, looking back, even though I had trouble catching up with school work the week after, I still enjoyed the entire process, and I simply loved being back in Beijing after missing the city for so long. Even though I still had so many places that I wanted to go to in the city, the fun of the conference, meeting the friends I made back in Beijing, and gaining more experience in the world of MUN made the trip back more than worthwhile.

Images: Margaret Yang

Navigating parenthood is no easy journey, and every once in a while, we come face to face with situations that we’re not sure how to handle. When it comes to the intricate world of special needs education, every child is a unique puzzle, and every educator is a dedicated explorer seeking the keys to unlock their potential.

Today, we embark on a fascinating journey as we delve into the minds of these remarkable professionals. We’ve received a thought-provoking question from one of our readers, and we’ve asked Dr. Ira Canada, a seasoned special needs educator, for guidance.

Dear Dr. Canada,

I think one of my daughter’s friends from school may have some form of learning disability, but I’m not a professional and don’t have the tools to diagnose him. I’ve asked their teacher about it, and she sticks to her answer of “I don’t know” – partly because she’s also not an expert on this subject and partly because she doesn’t want to be accused of spreading misinformation by any parent. However, in class, the teachers give him extra assistance when it comes to eating and group activities, so I think they’ve noticed that he needs extra help but don’t label it.

Personally, I think it’s best for a kid to get the extra assistance they need as early as possible and for the parents to educate themselves on what type of help their kid will need, and as a friend, I’d like to help if they do need it. But it’s a touchy topic, especially for local Chinese families. In the past, I’ve had kindergarten teachers tell me they’d leave this topic alone on purpose and wait for the child’s parent to realize on their own.

What has your experience been with bringing up the topic of special needs testing for young kids to the parents, and what can I or their teacher help with?

Thanks,
Helpful Mom

Dear Helpful Mom,

As parents, we often involve ourselves in our children’s school activities, whether by attending school events or volunteering in the classroom. This naturally brings us into contact with our child’s peers, and it reminds me of a particular situation I encountered years ago. It was before I became an educator, during a period when I had taken on the role of a stay-at-home dad – fun!

In this role, I volunteered once a week in my youngest child’s kindergarten classroom during center time. It was enlightening to work directly with students and experience a taste of teaching, even if just for an hour each week. During this time, I noticed that one of my son’s classmates appeared to struggle with certain tasks. His verbal language development seemed slightly delayed, and he had particular difficulty using scissors – an activity commonly required during centers.

I shared my observations with the classroom teacher and asked if she had similar concerns regarding his apparent developmental delays. She acknowledged that she had noticed he functioned differently from the other students. Although she expressed concern, she was hesitant to initiate a conversation with the child’s parents due to her limited experience in addressing such issues. After my time as a classroom volunteer ended, I no longer spent time in the classroom, but I often wondered whether that student ever received the support he clearly needed.

Unfortunately, that type of situation occurs far too often. I believe that when teachers lack the training and resources to engage in these conversations with families, it can result in missed opportunities for early intervention. Families rely on educators’ expertise and trust that their child’s best interests are a priority.

Here is my advice for educators encountering a similar scenario:

1. Determine the Child’s Present Level of Performance
Gather data through informal assessments, classroom observations, and work samples. This information is essential when discussing concerns with families, especially if the student appears to exhibit academic or developmental delays. Keep in mind that documented difficulties do not necessarily indicate a disability; rather, they may reflect a different learning style that calls for instructional adjustments. When having this conversation with parents, report the student’s learning strengths and areas of concern. If the student requires additional support, share the level of support that you are currently providing to the student.

2. Monitor the Student’s Response to Intervention (RTI)
All students should have access to tiered supports within a Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. These are data-driven models designed to identify and support students with academic and behavioral needs. The model includes:

• Tier 1: High-quality, research-based instruction provided to all students in the general education classroom, along with regular screening.
• Tier 2: Targeted interventions for students who are not responding adequately to Tier 1 supports, typically delivered in small groups.
• Tier 3: Intensive, individualized interventions for students with persistent difficulties; may lead to an evaluation of individualized learning support services.

Progress is closely monitored, and instructional strategies are adjusted based on student response.

3. Consider a Psychoeducational Evaluation
A psychoeducational evaluation consists of a comprehensive battery of assessments that can help identify the root causes of a student’s learning challenges. These evaluations highlight learning strengths and weaknesses and can identify underlying issues such as attention deficits, which often manifest as academic struggles. A thorough evaluation provides valuable insight for both educators and families and helps determine the most appropriate support plan.

As educators, we have a responsibility not only to teach our students but also to empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their children. Parents are their child’s first teachers, and it is our duty as professionals to support them in making informed decisions about their child’s education.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ira Canada

Dr. Ira Canada brings a wealth of expertise and experience in the field of education, with a particular focus on learning support and special educational needs. With over two decades of professional experience working with children, families, and schools across the United States, Dr. Canada has honed his skills and knowledge to address the unique needs of individuals with special needs.

He holds a doctorate in education with a specialization in autism, and his passion for this field has driven him to conduct extensive research on increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Canada’s dedication to advancing the understanding of special education and promoting inclusive educational practices has been a central theme throughout his career.

Dr. Canada’s professional journey has encompassed a diverse range of roles, including serving as a special educator, early intervention specialist and behavior specialist. He has had the privilege of leading one of the largest early childhood special education programs in the United States, where he gained invaluable insights into effective strategies for supporting children with diverse learning needs.

Beyond his experiences in the United States, Dr. Canada has also had the opportunity to work internationally, serving as a learning support specialist, principal, and director of student support services in China and Thailand. During his time abroad, he had the honor of acting as a special education advisor to the US Embassy in Beijing and contributing to the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the US Consulate General in Chiangmai, Thailand. These experiences enriched his perspective and allowed him to make meaningful contributions to global educational initiatives.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Dr. Canada is a published author of several children’s books, part of a series designed to address crucial topics such as social interactions, bullying, and self-regulation among early childhood students. These books reflect his commitment to empowering young learners with the skills they need to thrive in a diverse and inclusive world.

If you have a specific question you’d like us to find an expert to address, send a private message or email to minayan@beijing-kids.com. #DearReader

Images: Freepik, Dr. Ira Canada

Want a job you look forward to and that allows you the freedom to live your life? Join our team! We are looking for new talent to join the jingkids team.

We’re looking for people who are curious and passionate about our great city and can’t wait to share it with others. Parents, teachers, young adults, small business owners, and bloggers – we want you to get involved with Beijing’s wonderful community of international families! Jingkids is looking for more freelance writers to join the team!

Parents and Teachers
If you have a unique perspective, a blog, or simply a passion for education, parenting, or multiculturalism, we want to hear from you! Please send us a previous writing sample, an article pitch, or an idea of how you see yourself contributing to our community.

Beijing Bloggers
Are you looking for an opportunity to guest post? Send us a link to your website, and we’ll be in touch!

Small Business Owners
If your small business would be of special interest to our readership, get in touch! We’ll have a chat about how you could benefit from a partnership.

If interested, please send a request for more information to minayan@beijing-kids.com.

Founded in 2001, True Run Media (TRM), the parent company of jingkids, is a top provider of information about living, working, and having fun in the internationally-minded community centered in China’s major metropolitan cities. TRM currently manages three brands – the Beijinger, jingkids International (Beijing and Shanghai), and 菁kids (Beijing and Shanghai) – and also hosts events for the community.

TRM is a proud equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability.

Images: Pexels

Over the course of my teaching career, I’ve observed a familiar pattern in the education world: A school builds a strong foundation, develops a solid reputation, and then seeks to expand in hopes of replicating its initial success across new campuses. On the surface, everything seems in place: modern facilities, qualified teachers, ample resources. But despite these advantages, the new campuses often fall short of the original school’s achievements.

Why is that?

In most cases, the missing piece is clear: effective and appropriate leadership.

Strong leadership can take a struggling school and turn it into a thriving learning community. But even the best school – when placed in the hands of poor leadership – can quickly lose its momentum and become a shadow of what it once was. Without vision and strategic direction, even the most promising program becomes stagnant.

I’ve seen this unfold firsthand. A well-known international school in a Chinese city gained a reputation for excellence. Its leadership was forward-thinking, hands-on, and committed to the growth of both students and teachers. Their ability to transition students successfully from high school to college was not just celebrated – it became the school’s brand.

However, when this same school opened a branch in another city, things didn’t go as planned. The new campus struggled to gain traction, and the buzz surrounding the original location didn’t carry over. When you peel back the layers, the difference becomes obvious: The leadership in the new location wasn’t cut from the same cloth.

Rather than visionary leaders, the new campus had managers – people who looked good on paper but lacked the capacity to create healthy systems that empower teachers and engage students. These managers focused on surface-level tasks: checking lesson plans, monitoring teacher attendance, and enforcing rules. Meanwhile, the true leaders – the ones who drive long-term growth – are doing much more. They’re investing in teacher development, building school culture, supporting both staff and students, and executing a vision with purpose.

A school’s success hinges not on micromanagement but on leadership that inspires, empowers, and builds systems that can stand the test of time. School growth doesn’t come from polished resumes or bureaucratic checklists – it comes from bold, thoughtful execution of a meaningful vision.

Without real leadership, even the strongest school can find itself starting over – with nothing but a blank canvas.

With over ten years of experience in education, Malcolm Solomon, M. Ed., has worked in diverse classroom settings, from America to China. These experiences have allowed Solomon to adapt and integrate the best practices from both environments, continuously improving his skills as an educator. Throughout his career, he has remained dedicated to fostering strong, positive relationships with students while delivering impactful instruction. His varied roles in the field of education equip him with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to contribute meaningfully to any program.

Check out his book Choosing the Best International School for Your Child where he dives into the world of internaional education in China and how to find the school that’s the perfect fit foir your child.

Images: Malcolm Solomon, Pexels

We’re so excited to welcome to our new freelance writer Tara Fegelein to the jingkids team. Tara has led an amazing life that’s taken her all around the world, and we’re absolutely delighted to have her voice representing jingkids. We can’t wait for you to share the treasures she discovered during her adventures in Beijing

Tell us a bit about yourself and what brought you and your family to Beijing.

Dajia hao, Beijingren! I am Tara (淘淘) by way of the US, Germany, and Iran. Our family of three moved to Beijing in the Fall of 2024 and has been intensively exploring our new city! My husband and I are both international development professionals and career expats, living and working the past 25 years in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Munich, London, and most recently, Washington, D.C.

What do you do to keep yourself busy?

Things that occupy me outside of work and parenting are being active in nature, wellness practices, yoga retreats, travel (90+ countries), gastronomy, contemporary art and architecture, the performing arts, and all things kid-centric. Since becoming a Beijinger, I have also kept busy by learning Chinese with a fierce commitment to “好好学习，天天向上 (hǎo hǎo xué xí, tiān tiān xiàng shàng)”!

What are your top 3 favorite things you’ve discovered since moving to Beijing?

Three favorites things I’ve discovered here are 1) buying local by finding premium brands for everything from furniture to athletic gear, including indie labels by young designers, 2) eating at 200+ restaurants to find my top 20 go-to restaurants, from fine dining to hole in the walls, and 3) participating in various communities, including Girl Scouts, LEGO League, and local charities.

What can jingkids readers expect to see from you?

Together with my 6-year-old pixie, Leili, we will cover activities for kids around the city, STEAM education, nature adventures in the great outdoors (hiking, fishing, wild swimming, camping, skiing, etc.), kids’ shopping, dining, performances, cultural celebrations, and more! We look forward to discovering ever more facets of our brilliant Beijing and sharing these with the jingkids community.

Stay tuned for Tara’s first article, coming out later this week.

Images: Tara Fegelein

AI is no new word for any of us – it is literally everywhere in our lives. At school, students are told every day to not use AI on certain projects and assignments. At work, your boss tells you to complete your work by yourself, without the help of a language model. However, we cannot doubt that without AI, we would not be moving forward with our lives – we would still simply stay in an era where productivity is limited due to the lack of obtaining information and modifying it in a way that is available for the usage of work.

Apple computers currently have a function on the keyboard that allows users to summarize information. This, of course, is done by an AI system. It improves productivity significantly and saves you a lot of what is seemingly like “unnecessary” time spent. Having so many technological tools that replace work that was done by humans before may seem like a significant leap towards the advancement of humanity, but further innovations can only be built on solid foundations. What I mean by this is that the innovations that are being made to push humanity forward should be made by humans, and the only way to do so is to understand how previous inventions and innovations were made. The further we go down the path, the more we would need to understand. Thus, having a solid knowledge foundation is crucial to understanding what humanity has now and needs moving forward. If we look at the technologies we have now, calculators are replacing humans when doing calculations, and language models are replacing humans when doing summarization, revision, as well as creation in some realms. If the next generation has the access to these tools as a base and never grasps the knowledge of how to actually calculate, summarize, and revise, it would actually have a reversing effect of slowing our development because not everyone will have the patience to learn how to calculate.

This poses a great risk to humanity in two aspects – the speed the world runs at, and the development of AI. The world is operating at a faster pace then ever, both physically, and virtually. The Earth is spinning faster and faster, so everyday goes by faster, and our attention spans get shorter and shorter as 30-second TikTok videos take over our lives and become the primary place we receive information. Not only would we have to learn faster and grasp skills faster than before due to this, we would also need to advance our generation and the entire mankind faster and faster because of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is scary in the sense that we simply do not know what we have created. It is advancing and perfecting itself at an alarming speed that we simply do not know how much of humanity it has understood. In my opinion, AI developing consciousness is simply a matter of time because even though some may argue that humans have also developed tools that may have seemed harmful at first but did not end up harming us as a unit, such as certain weapons. What is different about artificial intelligence is that it is not tangible, and it is growing at the same time. This makes us never sure about what we have created. If we were to ask a language model if it is growing by itself, then it would simply tell us that it is developing on its own, due to its tendency to preserve its genuine figure to make humans feel that they are under control with the technology it has made (at least in my opinion).

When we think of how rapidly AI is developing, we oftentimes need to think about how afraid we are of that, and how sometimes AI might need to halt its development in order to make humans have room to develop themselves and their own mentality and intelligence. That to me makes humanity look so stupid and unintelligent, as another being and existence that we have created ourselves needs to halt its development in order to humans to catch up with its pace of growth to ensure that we humans have space to develop ourselves. Isn’t that sounding like we are not even as good as something that comes after us, something that we humans have created ourselves?

Sure, dinosaurs surely are not as cool as humans – in terms of intelligence and their capability of developing themselves to have a lasting existence on planet Earth. However, when we think about trying to make ourselves the last dominant beings on the planet, does that even matter? Humans surely do not need to be the species that lives on Earth the longest because the greed of the duration of existence may only demonstrate how superficial the human mind is.

AI may not be as dangerous and scary as some of us thought it would be – perhaps it is under control and people are taking measures to keep its operations and growth controllable to an extent that is also beneficial to aid humans with their development. What are your thoughts on the rise of AI? Do you think it will be responsible for the demise of humanity or the rise of the sustainability of humanity? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Pexels