How Might Voice Assistants Raise Our Children?

When mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones were becoming more popular, an important question that psychologists and pediatricians asked was how interactions facilitated by these devices with screens may affect the functioning of children. Nowadays, when technology used by children, such as intelligent voice assistants, does not require a screen at all, these issues seem to fall into the background. Today, concerns are growing about the effect of interacting with voice-driven AI services, as it may potentially have a greater impact on children's cognitive development than engaging with television or smartphones. The purpose of this paper is to outline potentially interesting directions of research in the field of voice assistant technology concerning how this solution may affect the functioning of children, and in particular if, and to what extent, it may redefine the dynamics of social contacts within and outside the family.