Your invisible AI-de: Three tools to help you ace the Dad role in your child's life

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If you can't beat them, join them, as the saying goes. For all the wailing over artificial intelligence (AI) taking over our lives, the fact is that AI is a tool which, if used judiciously, can actually be helpful. It's in the way that you use it. This week, start off finding out how AI can help you do the Dad thing a little better.

Planning and budgeting

AI-powered apps and sites that help plan activities, and manage budgets according to your inputs, can work for a busy young parent as well as for any professional. Feeding routines, doctors' appointments, play schedules, school timetable - if it all feels too much to juggle, let AI take it in hand.
You can try: app.gravitywrite.com

Monitoring and journalling

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We never have enough time to keep an eye on baby, and we also never stop worrying about them! An AI-powered baby monitor can go one step further than the static camera, and also help you remember baby schedules which are probably more vital than office ones. You don't want to miss a thing; you also don't have time to keep track of it all. AI can help here too, by reminding you to journal, giving you nudges, and even auto-uploading if you have a blog.
You can try: reflection.app

Stories and playtime

The Internet is full of personal anecdotes about how parents used AI to help them with childcare. One parent used Gemini to generate animal outlines that their child could then colour. These animals can be as outlandish or as cute as you want - just get the prompts in place. We also heard about a harassed mum who got her child to "talk" to ChatGPT about his favourite cartoon characters - a never-ending narrative for which she didn't have enough time (do we ever?).
You can try: openai.com/chatgpt; gemini.google.com