When I think of artificial intelligence, my brain tends to imagine a society run by robots. Oftentimes, that isn’t the case. In fact, there are people out there using AI for the greater good. Take AI Buddy, for example. AI Buddy is a program that supports military kids while their parents are at war or don’t make it back. This unique support system was created with the help of psychologists and pediatricians to become a virtual member of the family. The system does this by collecting information from close relatives and scanning emails, texts and social media data while keeping your privacy on the web. It stays in contact with parents and kids throughout the day, giving them support while their parents are at war.
The Program That’s Supporting Military Kids
Since 2001, more than 3 million children in the world have had one deployed parent, while thousands of them have lost a parent because of war. Many of these children end up experiencing mental health problems at higher rates than other children. Enter AI Buddy. This system is meant to help support the well-being of these children who’s parents are oftentimes absent. 
According to their website, AI Buddy works as a pseudo parent by sending messages to your children’s smart devices, using online information to help with homework, and even reading bedtime stories. When a parent has passed, the system helps the child with the transition until the child is ready to let it go. It’s a sensitive process, which AI Buddy is equipped to handle. That’s just the gist! There’s much more that AI Buddy has to offer. Just check out the video below!
Parents of military children are in a unique position of having an absentee parent who’s serving in the armed forces, so I think this is a great program that truly has the child in mind! The mental health of children is just as important as physical health so we need more systems in place that support healthy emotional maturity.
For more information on AI Buddy, be sure to check out their website.
