Meta's AI glasses and an Instagram AI feature that generated images from public photos, Holly and Fiona break down the privacy risks for parents in this AI parenting podcast.

Recorded just before Meta pulled the Instagram feature, this episode looks at privacy, ethical design in AI products, whether these features are actually needed, and the risk of everyday bullying alongside more extreme misuse. As the final episode of the season, Holly and Fiona also reflect on how it's gone.

New episodes return in September.

Topics covered:

• Instagram's AI image feature, and why it was taken down after backlash
• The privacy risk of bullying and misuse that's separate from the "worst case" concerns that got most of the coverage
• Meta's AI glasses and the privacy questions they raise
• Toy Story 5's message
• Reflections on the season and what's coming next

Useful Links:

BBC News story on Meta taking down the new Instagram feature

Explainer on Meta glasses and Kylie Jenner

Black Mirror - Nosedive (season 3, episode 1)

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

Do I need to worry about my son's AI companion?

Fiona and Holly are joined by Professor Andrew McStay, director of Bangor University's Emotional AI Lab, to talk about AI companions and what's actually going on when a child forms a bond with one.

Andrew shares research showing around 80% of UK teenagers have tried an AI companion, with about 30% using one more than once a week - and explains what that means for parents, what's worth watching for, and what isn't.

Useful Links:

Professor Andrew McStay’s research on AI companions

Emotional AI Lab

Professor Andrew McStay’s website

character.ai

Replika

Nomi.ai

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

The UK government has proposed banning under-16s from holding social media accounts - but does it actually protect children from AI?

Fiona and Holly are joined by child trauma psychotherapist Dr Catherine Knibbs, who isn't convinced the ban will work. They dig into what the ban is actually trying to fix, and whether removing access to named platforms touches the AI behind them - the recommendation algorithms widely described as addictive.

Covers: the UK social media ban explained, AI and addictive algorithms, will the social media ban work, what parents can actually do regardless of how the law lands.

Useful Links:

Official Government announcement

Dr Catherine Knibbs

Website

YouTube

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

AI-powered toys are heading for this year's Christmas tree and in toy shop aisles right now, but what are they actually doing when your toddler talks to them?

Dr Emily Goodacre joins Fiona and Holly to dig into what AI toys, like Miko, mean for a young child's development, what data they might be collecting, and why a toy can't actually manage real social play the way a person can.

Covers: AI toys and child development, data and privacy risks in smart toys, and why AI can't replace real social interaction for toddlers.

Useful Links:

Dr Emily Goodacre’s research

Pedal Hub

Mattel and OpenAI partnership

Report where AI toy went rogue

AI Toy Miko

Sign up to our newsletter

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

This week Holly and Fiona get stuck into the topic of the environment, learning that measuring AI’s impact is not quite as simple as it may seem.

They’re joined by Dr Kelly Widdicks from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology to talk about how some research suggests that the data centres behind AI have the same carbon footprint as the whole of NYC.

But it’s not all bad news as Kelly also explains that there are ways we can use AI for the good of the environment.

Useful Links:

Dr Kelly Widdicks

Carbon impact of AI research (Patterns - De Vries-Gao)

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

How Bad Are Bananas? by Mike Berners-Lee

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

Fiona hates driving and loves the idea of a world where automated cars are the norm, whereas Holly is pretty worried about the thought of it.

With driverless cars being tested on the streets of London there was no better time than now to ask Dr Nick Reed whether our kids will ever need to take a driving test.

Dr Nick is an expert in the safe deployment of driverless cars in the UK and tells us what it’s like to take a ride in a Waymo.

Useful Links:

Reed Mobility

Athlete running in sports day race

AI Confidential with Hannah Fry - Death by Driverless Car

Zoox

Waymo

Wayve

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

The big question this week is whether Holly is feeling any more knowledgeable about AI.

Join Fiona and Holly as they reflect on what they’ve learned in the last few weeks and what they want to cover before the summer.

Useful Links:

askma.co.uk

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!

Holly has always considered coding a “safe-bet” career path, but now AI can code she’s not sure whether it’s a good path to encourage her daughter down.

Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO of Stemettes, joins us on the podcast to talk about tech careers, unicorns and periods.

Useful Links:

Stemettes (sign up to the newsletter)

Link to Hannah Fry’s video about paperclips and mugs

Clip of James Acaster on The Great British Bake Off

She’s in Ctrl book

Find our website at raisinggenerationai.com

We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

The music and graphics for this podcast have been created using AI. Credit to kaazoom for the catchy tune!