As we navigate the 21st century, technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, radically transforming the way we live, work, and learn. One such groundbreaking technological advancement is generative AI, which can create new content, such as text, images, and music. Generative AI has been a hot topic lately, with tools such as ChatGPT from OpenAI and Bard from Google being two of the most talked about AI applications. Let's look at some other fun, engaging generative AI tools that can enhance your children's learning and creativity:
DALL·E
Created by OpenAI, DALL·E is a generative AI model trained to generate images from text based descriptions. For example, if your child describes a “two-story pink house shaped like a shoe,” DALL·E can generate an image closely resembling this description. The more descriptive you are, the better the final creation will be. Try using artistic style options such as oil painting, digital art, or “in the style of Salvatore Dali” for some inspiration.
DALL·E can provide a fun way to spend some time with your children being creative. Using a tool like this can help children visualize their silly ideas or story characters, leading to better comprehension and learning. DALL·E is free, but you only receive a set amount of credits each month. Check out alternatives such as Midjourney or Craiyon when you run out of credits.
AIVA
AIVA is a generative AI app focused on music. It composes original music pieces based on the inputs given. Your child can choose a genre, mood, and duration, and AIVA will do the rest.
The app can be used to introduce children to music composition and help them understand different music styles and structures. AIVA can also create background music for your kids’ projects or performances, enhancing their presentation skills. Abundant Music is another generative AI app that can create music
Runway ML
Runway ML is an AI tool that enables users to create unique digital art and designs. By using machine learning models, the app can transform, enhance, or stylize images and videos.
This app can be a great way for your child to explore digital art and design. They can experiment with different effects, learning about colors, patterns, and visual aesthetics in the process. This tool is better for teens or young adults.
SmartDreams
SmartDreams is an AI bedtime story app that brings your kids’ imaginations to life like never before. It uses powerful generative AI to create personalized stories that are tailored to your child's interests. The stories are also illustrated with stunning visuals, making them even more engaging for kids. SmartDreams is a great way to help your child fall asleep and to encourage a love of reading. It’s also a great way to promote creativity and imagination.
DeepArt
DeepArt is an AI tool that transforms photos into artwork inspired by famous painters. Simply upload a photo, choose a painting style, and DeepArt will recreate the photo in the chosen style.
This app could be a fun way to introduce your children to different art styles and painters. They can also use it to personalize their school projects, encouraging a blend of technology and art.
Artbreeder
Artbreeder is a unique platform that uses Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to merge and modify images. Users can create “children” of images that inherit attributes from both “parent” images, producing surprising and creative results. You can make everything from portraits to landscapes and abstract art.
For kids, Artbreeder can be a fun way to understand how AI can blend images and create new ones. It encourages exploration of imagination and creativity. Kids can also learn about different visual elements like color, shape, and texture.
Teachable Machine
This one isn’t generative AI, but it does help you understand how AI works in a fun, engaging way. Teachable Machine is a web-based tool developed by Google that makes creating machine learning models fast, easy, and accessible to everyone. You don't need any specialized knowledge in machine learning or coding to use Teachable Machine. With Teachable Machine, you can train a computer to recognize your own images, sounds, and poses without writing any machine learning code. For example, you could train a model to recognize different gestures you make on your webcam, different objects shown to your webcam, or different sounds you make into your microphone.
Once your model is trained, you can export it to use in different projects, apps, or websites. This makes it a great tool for teaching children about the basics of machine learning in a fun, hands-on way.
Stay Involved!
Isn’t it exciting to think about how these AI apps can bring a sprinkle of magic to our kids’ learning journey? They're like secret tools we’ve discovered, helping our little ones explore, imagine, and grow in ways we could only dream of in our own childhoods.
Just remember, it's all about balance. Just as we mix up their diet with healthy foods, let's mix up their tech-time, too. Juggling between the digital delights and the good old non-digital fun is the way to go. After all, nothing can replace the joy of a sunny day at the park, or a cozy afternoon with a good book!
Remember, no app or AI tool is 100% perfect and may sometimes generate unexpected or inappropriate content! So, while our kids are on their AI-powered adventures, parents need to stay involved. Guide them, answer their questions, share their excitement, and make sure the digital playground stays fun and safe.
Generative AI apps are like little doors opening to a world full of possibilities. As we, hand in hand with our kiddos, step into the future of learning and creativity, let's ensure these tools are used in ways that enhance our children's growth and development.
Mike Daugherty is a husband, father of three young children, author, speaker, Google Innovator, and possible Starbucks addict. He is a certified educational technology leader who has served in a variety of roles through his twenty-year career in public education. Currently, Mike is the Director of Technology for the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School district in Northeast Ohio. As an IT director he has developed creative, well thought out solutions that positively impact teaching and learning.