Dr. Dana Suskind
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'
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
[Not loaded yet] - Coming in July! “Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI” A troubling fear nags at me: that human connection—the one thing children need most—is at risk of becoming a rarity. My book, I hope, provides families a line of defense 💚
- As a pediatric physician, as an early childhood researcher, and as a child development expert, I am compelled to state, in no uncertain terms: the current approach to immigration reform is deeply detrimental to children, in both the present and long-term. 🧵
- “The risks of AI differ from its benefits—that is, these risks undermine children’s foundational development—and may prevent the benefits from being realized.” I was honored to help inform this Brookings Institute report and its concrete recommendations. www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n...
- Reposted by Dr. Dana SuskindIntroducing SPEAK—a scalable, computer-adaptive tool to measure knowledge of early human development. By Gaudreau, Levine, @johnlist.bsky.social & @drdanasuskind.bsky.social, it identifies knowledge gaps to guide targeted interventions and improve child outcomes. ow.ly/fzOk50XbjrG
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- 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...
- 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-...
- 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...
- '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...
- 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...
- “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...
- 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
- '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/...
- Reposted by Dr. Dana SuskindFew 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...
- 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...
- 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
- “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...
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- 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...
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- "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...
- Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind[Not loaded yet]
- 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.
- 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...
- 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...
- 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....
- 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...
- 'But how can we scale economic literacy?' I'm so proud of @johnlist.bsky.social, my partner in life and work, and I'm thrilled for the growing number of students whose curiosity will be ignited by his Economics for Everyone curriculum! news.uchicago.edu/story/econom...
- I am thrilled to be headed to Abu Dhabi later today for #BX2025, the only global event dedicated to exploring the powerful intersection of behavioral science and public policy.
- Every move to weave AI further into our education systems should work to support, not replace, humans—especially in early childhood, when caregivers' nurturing interactions build the neural pathways that wire children for human connection So, so critical. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
- I just had the pleasure of visiting Kimberly Noble at her NEED Lab at ColumbiaUniversity and delivering a guest lecture to her undergrads. So grateful for their work to advance our understanding of how early life experiences influence brain development—helping ensure science shapes policy 🧠
