Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families in San Francisco focuses on AI, tech
The Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families in San Francisco wrapped up on Tuesday.
Katy Foreman, the president of the Lafayette School Board, was one of dozens of educators attending the two-day event.
"I love this summit because it really grounds me in what my work is about, which is our students. We spend a lot of time as school board members thinking about budgets, facilities, policies. But the speakers here today kind of touched my heart and reminded me what we're really working for," Foreman told CBS News Bay Area.
There were many prominent guest speakers at the summit, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Even if we read the latest reports on the newest apps or the newest trends and things, we need to make sure we're looking at our kids' phones. The next day, something new is coming out and we don't always know what that is," Foreman said.
The summit's themes include AI and the future of learning, as well as the impact of tech on youth mental health.
"Making sure that kids have a place to go, a trusted adult, primarily their parent or guardian," Jill Murphy, chief content officer with Common Sense Media, told CBS News Bay Area. "If they and when they encounter something online, they can go to that trusted adult and have that conversation."
"They're much more savvy than we think they are when it comes to determining what's AI and what's not. Using AI for schoolwork is a real issue, and something not necessarily that parents are describing it as cheating, but kids are using it as homework help. So, really understanding what they are," she added.
Murphy said they're partnering with companies to help provide families with more tools.
"It used to be get the TV out of the bedroom. Obviously, those days are gone. We do want the devices out of the bedroom. But more than anything, it always comes back to parent engagement and parent conversations," she said. "We're seeing social media use kids as guinea pigs. And we want to make sure that they're protected and guardrails in place.
Kristin Lewis, the chief product officer of Aura, said resources like their app can help parents protect their children from online threats.
"Used to kind of pair up with their child's mobile devices. It gives them immediate insight into what's happening on that device, what their kid is doing, what apps they're using," Lewis told CBS News Bay Area. "We start our lives online so young that the problems they're facing are really different and unique, and different for every kid, so we've invested a ton in comprehensive digital safety and wellbeing."
Foreman is eager to take back what she learned to her educators in the East Bay.
"AI is really overwhelming and such a huge area of concern for us right now. So, just filling in my knowledge and building as much of a foundation as I can," she said.
