California-based executive and parent coach Samantha Sophia is sounding the alarm on the unchecked use of artificial intelligence.
She is calling for a renewed focus on critical thinking, intentional learning, and technological discernment—especially among youth.
In a compelling video post shared on her social media, Sophia shared personal insights and concerns about the widespread overuse of AI, particularly in academic and emotional spaces.
Drawing from her own parenting experience, she recounted how her 15-year-old daughter, despite having formal AI training and deep tech exposure, has chosen to limit her use of artificial intelligence tools.
“My daughter built a chatbot to help teens with negative self-talk,” said Sophia. “She scratched the project because of how quickly it was seemingly going rogue. She told me, ‘It’s just not safe, Mom.’”
Sophia’s daughter, who was once part of Amazon’s AHEAD program, is a polyglot who speaks seven languages and is currently writing a science fiction novel the old-fashioned way—through books, research, and analog discovery.
“We go to the library and pick out hard copy books to research topics for her book,” Sophia explained. “Before I gave my children technology, I taught them the possible risks of said technology.”
A Call for Caution and Mastery
In her post, Sophia urged adults to teach young people the value of mastery and understanding, particularly across diverse disciplines, and to use AI intentionally and with caution.
“People are losing loved ones to AI-fueled spiritual fantasies. Everyone is cheating their way through college. ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project,” she said.
Sophia noted that while she was a finance major, it was the sociology and humanities courses she took in college that deeply enriched her personal and professional growth—something many students now skip, she says, by using AI shortcuts.
“Students are boasting they’re using AI to get through electives because they’re not part of their core major. They’re missing the plot of a college education,” she warned.
AI’s Broader Impact
Sophia emphasized that AI cannot replace licensed professionals, particularly in fields like medicine, and its overuse may dull essential cognitive skills.
“In a general sense, the overuse of AI directly impacts your intelligence, reasoning, and analytical skills. In a broader sense, it cannot replace the accountability that comes with licensure,” she said.
Her final message to parents, educators, and mentors was firm: equip yourselves and the young people in your lives with the tools to critically engage with technology:
“There is an inherent risk to the collective and the individual when we do not understand the risks of the tools we are using. This is not a game.”
