There is no doubt that artificial general intelligence (AGI) - an AI that is capable of generating human-level intelligence - is on its way. It's only a matter a when, not if. According to some researchers, the quest to developing AGI may take longer than expected. But even then, the quest continues on.

As we continue moving forward, however, certain questions are already being asked. The more frequent question being: To what extent should children be exposed to technologies which rely on AI systems?

According to a report by Edison Research and NPR, "one-in-six Americans (16%) owns a voice-activated smart speaker." By comparison to the number of AI speakers owned a year before, the number is now up by 128% and still rising. The impact that'll have on children within households which own AI speakers is yet to be determined, but I am of the opinion that it'll largely be a positive one.

In December of last year, I'd purchased a Google Home Mini for my brother, his fiancé, and their daughter. I figured each of them could find out ways to integrate the Google Home into their daily lives and make things a bit easier. What I didn't expect (at least not so quickly) was this:

My Brother's Fiancé: "Okay, peanut. Do you want mommy to read you a bedtime story or do you want Google?"

Their Daughter (6-years-old): *snickers* I want Google to read me a story!"

I laughed alongside her, but clearly for different reasons. My niece laughed because she's gangster like that and knows she just retired her parents in favor of Google. I, on the other hand, laughed out of disbelief that we've now reached a point where children are now comfortable enough around AI that they award them with the role of helping them sleep.

According to the information technology research company Gartner, 75% of all households within the U.S. will own an AI speaker by 2020. Meaning, around 75% (+/-) of children in the U.S. will have similar, if not more advanced, experiences as my niece. And companies like Google and Amazon are fully aware of this.

Last year, both Google and Amazon had launched skills for their own AI speakers that were specifically programmed for children. In doing so, it allows children to be exposed to intelligent systems that aren't biological by nature, thus preparing them for a future where there are more non-biological intelligent systems than that of biological, i.e. humans.

And while privacy concerns continue to pervade throughout the conversation of children's exposure to AI - especially AI which are retrofitted inside of toys - there is simply no doubt that a growing number of children are going to be exposed, daily, to supertoys that talk back to them. Some are even going as far as labeling this generation as Generation AI.

This emerging development of children owning supertoys - toys embedded with neural networks - reminds me of the popular sci-fi film AI: Artificial Intelligence directed by Steven Spielberg. More specifically, it reminds me of "Teddy" - the stuffed robot bear that befriended the robotic boy David.