Dr. Dana Suskind
@drdanasuskind.bsky.social
Surgeon. Co-Director of University of Chicago's TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. Mom. NYT bestselling author of 'Parent Nation' and 'Thirty Million Words'
Pinned
AI Engineers Need Their Own Hippocratic Oath
"We need a Hinton Oath: not to slow engineers down, but to guide them with the same moral clarity."
time.com
Artificial Intelligence is not just technology. It’s an artificial biologic with tremendous population health implications—both promising and perilous.
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
Babies are born to bond with other humans. When they bond, instead, with human-like AI systems, we don’t yet know what that means for their brain development. But we do know caution is warranted.
Thank you to the Brookings Institution for publishing our commentary
www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...
Thank you to the Brookings Institution for publishing our commentary
www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...
Policy guardrails needed as babies around the world begin to interact with AI | Brookings
Kathy Hisrh-Pasek and co-authors outline the potential risks that artificial intelligence poses to children's development.
www.brookings.edu
September 19, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Babies are born to bond with other humans. When they bond, instead, with human-like AI systems, we don’t yet know what that means for their brain development. But we do know caution is warranted.
Thank you to the Brookings Institution for publishing our commentary
www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...
Thank you to the Brookings Institution for publishing our commentary
www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...
The FTC studying the impact of AI chatbots on children’s mental health is good, overdue news.
Just as we set guardrails for food and medicine that reach children, we need guidelines and transparency standards for AI companions before they flood the marketplace.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-...
Just as we set guardrails for food and medicine that reach children, we need guidelines and transparency standards for AI companions before they flood the marketplace.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-...
Exclusive | FTC Prepares to Question AI Companies Over Impact on Children
The regulator is expected to send letters to makers of AI chatbots.
www.wsj.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The FTC studying the impact of AI chatbots on children’s mental health is good, overdue news.
Just as we set guardrails for food and medicine that reach children, we need guidelines and transparency standards for AI companions before they flood the marketplace.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-...
Just as we set guardrails for food and medicine that reach children, we need guidelines and transparency standards for AI companions before they flood the marketplace.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-...
Artificial Intelligence is not just technology. It’s an artificial biologic with tremendous population health implications—both promising and perilous.
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
AI Engineers Need Their Own Hippocratic Oath
"We need a Hinton Oath: not to slow engineers down, but to guide them with the same moral clarity."
time.com
August 27, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Artificial Intelligence is not just technology. It’s an artificial biologic with tremendous population health implications—both promising and perilous.
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm.
time.com/7312350/ai-e...
'The teenage brain is still developing—particularly in regions of impulse control and risk assessment—making young people less equipped to judge the accuracy or safety of advice.'
We simply can't allow children's brains to be testing grounds for unregulated AI.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...
We simply can't allow children's brains to be testing grounds for unregulated AI.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...
Opinion | Teens Are Using Chatbots as Therapists. That’s Alarming.
www.nytimes.com
August 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM
'The teenage brain is still developing—particularly in regions of impulse control and risk assessment—making young people less equipped to judge the accuracy or safety of advice.'
We simply can't allow children's brains to be testing grounds for unregulated AI.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...
We simply can't allow children's brains to be testing grounds for unregulated AI.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...
Grateful to @familiesinschools.bsky.social for engaging me in this important dialogue around AI and early childhood.
If we are to avoid the same mistakes we made with social media, we need robust research into AI’s effects on developing brains. Now.
www.familiesinschools.org/2025/08/13/a...
If we are to avoid the same mistakes we made with social media, we need robust research into AI’s effects on developing brains. Now.
www.familiesinschools.org/2025/08/13/a...
Paying Attention to Big Tech: AI & Early Childhood - Families In Schools
www.familiesinschools.org
August 19, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Grateful to @familiesinschools.bsky.social for engaging me in this important dialogue around AI and early childhood.
If we are to avoid the same mistakes we made with social media, we need robust research into AI’s effects on developing brains. Now.
www.familiesinschools.org/2025/08/13/a...
If we are to avoid the same mistakes we made with social media, we need robust research into AI’s effects on developing brains. Now.
www.familiesinschools.org/2025/08/13/a...
“Here is where AI’s agreeability – so crucial to its rapid adoption – becomes its Achille's heel. Its tendency to value short-term user satisfaction over truthfulness – to blow digital smoke up one’s skirt – can isolate users and reinforce confirmation bias.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
Opinion | What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life
www.nytimes.com
August 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
“Here is where AI’s agreeability – so crucial to its rapid adoption – becomes its Achille's heel. Its tendency to value short-term user satisfaction over truthfulness – to blow digital smoke up one’s skirt – can isolate users and reinforce confirmation bias.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
American families need more support to flourish. My colleagues from the Convergence Collaborative on Supports for Working Families and I urge Congress and the Administration to establish a National Commission on Children and Families for the 21st Century.
Read our issue brief: lnkd.in/ghG3niVJ
Read our issue brief: lnkd.in/ghG3niVJ
August 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM
American families need more support to flourish. My colleagues from the Convergence Collaborative on Supports for Working Families and I urge Congress and the Administration to establish a National Commission on Children and Families for the 21st Century.
Read our issue brief: lnkd.in/ghG3niVJ
Read our issue brief: lnkd.in/ghG3niVJ
'AI policy should advance AI innovation by ensuring that its potential benefits are responsibly realized and widely shared.'
Important guidance from a multidisciplinary group of AI policy experts, calling for an emphasis on scientific understanding over hype.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Important guidance from a multidisciplinary group of AI policy experts, calling for an emphasis on scientific understanding over hype.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Advancing science- and evidence-based AI policy
Policy must be informed by, but also facilitate the generation of, scientific evidence
www.science.org
August 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
'AI policy should advance AI innovation by ensuring that its potential benefits are responsibly realized and widely shared.'
Important guidance from a multidisciplinary group of AI policy experts, calling for an emphasis on scientific understanding over hype.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Important guidance from a multidisciplinary group of AI policy experts, calling for an emphasis on scientific understanding over hype.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
Few things can make a father prouder than his daughter changing the world....by teaching about field experiments at the World Youth Economic Forum!
August 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Few things can make a father prouder than his daughter changing the world....by teaching about field experiments at the World Youth Economic Forum!
I decided to throw my hat into the ring for #SXSWEDU 2026, where I'm hoping to present concrete principles for responsible use of AI in early childhood. My panel is called BORN TO BE WIRED 😉
Do me a favor and vote for it in the #PanelPicker!
participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
Do me a favor and vote for it in the #PanelPicker!
participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
participate.sxsw.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I decided to throw my hat into the ring for #SXSWEDU 2026, where I'm hoping to present concrete principles for responsible use of AI in early childhood. My panel is called BORN TO BE WIRED 😉
Do me a favor and vote for it in the #PanelPicker!
participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
Do me a favor and vote for it in the #PanelPicker!
participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
I’m glad to see @unicef.org updating its guidance on AI and children, especially the potential risks when AI offers companionship.
When children’s attachment systems are activated by algorithms rather than caregivers, we’re in uncharted territory.
www.unicef.org/innocenti/st...
When children’s attachment systems are activated by algorithms rather than caregivers, we’re in uncharted territory.
www.unicef.org/innocenti/st...
The risky new world of tech's friendliest bots
AI companions and children
www.unicef.org
August 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I’m glad to see @unicef.org updating its guidance on AI and children, especially the potential risks when AI offers companionship.
When children’s attachment systems are activated by algorithms rather than caregivers, we’re in uncharted territory.
www.unicef.org/innocenti/st...
When children’s attachment systems are activated by algorithms rather than caregivers, we’re in uncharted territory.
www.unicef.org/innocenti/st...
Your baby doesn’t need fancy toys or gadgets for healthy brain development. What they need most is lots and lots of your words and nurturing interaction.
Grateful to The Bump for letting me weigh in here 🩷
www.thebump.com/a/newborn-toys
Grateful to The Bump for letting me weigh in here 🩷
www.thebump.com/a/newborn-toys
7 Best Newborn Toys, Tested by babies in 2025
Shopping for baby's first toy? Check out our favorite newborn toys, tested by babies aged between 4 and 10 weeks and rated by their parents.
www.thebump.com
August 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Your baby doesn’t need fancy toys or gadgets for healthy brain development. What they need most is lots and lots of your words and nurturing interaction.
Grateful to The Bump for letting me weigh in here 🩷
www.thebump.com/a/newborn-toys
Grateful to The Bump for letting me weigh in here 🩷
www.thebump.com/a/newborn-toys
“We have never established that good child care belongs among the pantheon of American values.”
So true! The first 5 years are the most rapid period of brain development and the foundation for, well, everything.
Great interview here with @ehaspel.bsky.social.
hechingerreport.org/why-american...
So true! The first 5 years are the most rapid period of brain development and the foundation for, well, everything.
Great interview here with @ehaspel.bsky.social.
hechingerreport.org/why-american...
New book argues child care is a ‘societal imperative’
In ‘Raising a Nation,’ researcher Elliot Haspel says everyone should want strong supports for early childhood, even those without children.
hechingerreport.org
July 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
“We have never established that good child care belongs among the pantheon of American values.”
So true! The first 5 years are the most rapid period of brain development and the foundation for, well, everything.
Great interview here with @ehaspel.bsky.social.
hechingerreport.org/why-american...
So true! The first 5 years are the most rapid period of brain development and the foundation for, well, everything.
Great interview here with @ehaspel.bsky.social.
hechingerreport.org/why-american...
Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
All my faves in @swartzmark16.bsky.social's interview w #ChelseaClinton on the 10th anniversary of @toosmalltoofail.bsky.social. #JoanLombardi @drdanasuskind.bsky.social tinyurl.com/32r5hykj
Chelsea Clinton: Supporting Families Where They Are Matters for Early Childhood
Chelsea Clinton reflects on impact, lessons learned and what lies ahead for Too Small to Fail, an initiative supporting families with early learning.
tinyurl.com
July 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
All my faves in @swartzmark16.bsky.social's interview w #ChelseaClinton on the 10th anniversary of @toosmalltoofail.bsky.social. #JoanLombardi @drdanasuskind.bsky.social tinyurl.com/32r5hykj
I’m grateful to @axios.com for tackling this topic and allowing me to weigh in. We need to be extremely intentional about the tech we introduce to young children, whose brains are at risk of being wired away from the relationships so central to our humanity.
www.axios.com/2025/07/21/a...
www.axios.com/2025/07/21/a...
Chatting with bots could rewire the youngest brains
As chatbots enter children's lives, pediatricians warn that the interactions could alter their development.
www.axios.com
July 23, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I’m grateful to @axios.com for tackling this topic and allowing me to weigh in. We need to be extremely intentional about the tech we introduce to young children, whose brains are at risk of being wired away from the relationships so central to our humanity.
www.axios.com/2025/07/21/a...
www.axios.com/2025/07/21/a...
Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
Best quote for parents struggling with an AI powered toy:
"The question isn’t whether to embrace innovation, but how to ensure these tools enhance rather than replace the irreplaceable bonds and experiences that build brains.”
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions."
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers about brain development and how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted by AI.
outthinkmedia.com
July 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Best quote for parents struggling with an AI powered toy:
Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions."
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
Hear from Dr. Dana Suskind, leading child development expert at the Univ. of Chicago
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
Hear from Dr. Dana Suskind, leading child development expert at the Univ. of Chicago
What do my kids need to know about AI? or “Mattel, I have questions.”
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
outthinkmedia.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:37 PM
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions."
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
Hear from Dr. Dana Suskind, leading child development expert at the Univ. of Chicago
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
Hear from Dr. Dana Suskind, leading child development expert at the Univ. of Chicago
"The question isn’t whether to embrace innovation, but how to ensure these tools enhance rather than replace the irreplaceable bonds and experiences that build brains.”
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions."
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers about brain development and how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted by AI.
outthinkmedia.com
July 17, 2025 at 5:23 PM
"The question isn’t whether to embrace innovation, but how to ensure these tools enhance rather than replace the irreplaceable bonds and experiences that build brains.”
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood.
outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
AI is already impacting children’s developing brains in profound ways, and kids’ wellbeing is not at the center of tech industry innovation, @drdanasuskind.bsky.social writes. “Every time we replace a human with AI, we risk rewiring how a child relates to the world.” thehill.com/opinion/tech...
thehill.com
July 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
AI is already impacting children’s developing brains in profound ways, and kids’ wellbeing is not at the center of tech industry innovation, @drdanasuskind.bsky.social writes. “Every time we replace a human with AI, we risk rewiring how a child relates to the world.” thehill.com/opinion/tech...
I’m grateful to The Hill for publishing my oped calling for more information on AI’s impact on early brain development.
Tech can be a powerful force for good—as a cochlear implant surgeon, I rely on it to help children hear! But we must apply it with intention...especially in early childhood.
Tech can be a powerful force for good—as a cochlear implant surgeon, I rely on it to help children hear! But we must apply it with intention...especially in early childhood.
thehill.com
June 30, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I’m grateful to The Hill for publishing my oped calling for more information on AI’s impact on early brain development.
Tech can be a powerful force for good—as a cochlear implant surgeon, I rely on it to help children hear! But we must apply it with intention...especially in early childhood.
Tech can be a powerful force for good—as a cochlear implant surgeon, I rely on it to help children hear! But we must apply it with intention...especially in early childhood.
What happens when a robot is wrong? A recent study reveals that young children trust robots — even when they mess up.
Some fascinating findings ...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Some fascinating findings ...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
When is it right for a robot to be wrong? Children trust a robot over a human in a selective trust task
Little is known about how children perceive, trust and learn from social robots compared to humans. The goal of this study was to compare a robot and …
www.sciencedirect.com
June 26, 2025 at 6:51 PM
What happens when a robot is wrong? A recent study reveals that young children trust robots — even when they mess up.
Some fascinating findings ...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Some fascinating findings ...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
This is a huge win for Montana’s children, families and business. It’s also a win for advocates who are fighting for more universal access to high-quality child care in other states.
Investing in early childhood is one of the smartest, soundest investments a state can make...
Investing in early childhood is one of the smartest, soundest investments a state can make...
June 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
This is a huge win for Montana’s children, families and business. It’s also a win for advocates who are fighting for more universal access to high-quality child care in other states.
Investing in early childhood is one of the smartest, soundest investments a state can make...
Investing in early childhood is one of the smartest, soundest investments a state can make...
New research shows kids as young as 5 modifying their behavior based on what robots "think" about them
As AI enters classrooms & homes, we're seeing early evidence of kids forming real social bonds with machines — for better or worse
Full study here ⬇️
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
As AI enters classrooms & homes, we're seeing early evidence of kids forming real social bonds with machines — for better or worse
Full study here ⬇️
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
<em>Child Development</em> | SRCD Journal | Wiley Online Library
Since robots are becoming involved in children's lives, it is urgent to determine how children perceive robots. The present study assessed whether Japanese 5-year-olds care about their reputation whe...
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM
New research shows kids as young as 5 modifying their behavior based on what robots "think" about them
As AI enters classrooms & homes, we're seeing early evidence of kids forming real social bonds with machines — for better or worse
Full study here ⬇️
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
As AI enters classrooms & homes, we're seeing early evidence of kids forming real social bonds with machines — for better or worse
Full study here ⬇️
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Right now the U.S. Senate is negotiating the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which already passed the House. This Bill focuses on a variety of programs, but I want to talk about one part that intersects with the work I do as a researcher, a social scientist, and a pediatric surgeon.
June 4, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Right now the U.S. Senate is negotiating the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which already passed the House. This Bill focuses on a variety of programs, but I want to talk about one part that intersects with the work I do as a researcher, a social scientist, and a pediatric surgeon.
Public health advocates are warning that newborn hearing screenings are at risk of being cut because of drastic cutbacks at federal health agencies.
This would have grave consequences for our children.
A 🧵
time.com/7278169/baby...
This would have grave consequences for our children.
A 🧵
time.com/7278169/baby...
How Having a Baby Is Changing Under Trump
Cuts to federal health institutions could alter newborn hearing and rare disease screening programs.
time.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Public health advocates are warning that newborn hearing screenings are at risk of being cut because of drastic cutbacks at federal health agencies.
This would have grave consequences for our children.
A 🧵
time.com/7278169/baby...
This would have grave consequences for our children.
A 🧵
time.com/7278169/baby...