In today's world of digital firsts, parenting is even harder as children are exploring more online spaces and smart devices, even social media, at younger ages. Figuring out how to keep children safe while allowing them as much independence and freedom is a challenge for many parents and this is where AI will help you with AI-type home surveillance. We are not just talking about cameras or monitors but an intelligent system to assist with parenting choice-making. AI-powered nannies are rapidly redefining modern parenting, offering families an unprecedented mix of convenience, personalisation and innovation. Once a subject of science fiction, AI nannies and digital assistants are now a fast-rising trend that is disrupting traditional caregiving and raising important questions for children’s development and family culture.

In an interview with the Times of India, Manish Mohta, Founder of Learning Spiral, shared, "Superficially, AI surveillance seems like an intrusion of privacy—a computer or robot just passively following every movement. However, if designed properly, this technology is not really monitoring but is shaped to guide and protect children. There are modern AI tools that can identify potential risks, flag disruptions in expected behaviour and even give alerts to parents prior to emotional distress. One interesting example is a smart camera that detects a child who has tripped or is playing in an unsafe area, and then sends an alert (indicated with a gentle pulsating light) to a parent's device. An additional example is an AI-powered sensor that can track air quality or room temperature, keeping the environment itself from being a safety issue."

The rise of AI nannies: What’s happening?
The Covid-19 pandemic massively accelerated the adoption of AI-powered childcare tools, educational apps and smart monitoring devices, as parents needed creative, tech-based solutions to support their children during lockdowns and beyond. According to a recent 2025 analysis by the AI in Childcare and Parenting Market, the global market for such technology was valued at $4.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to soar to $35.2 billion by 2034, reflecting a 22.4% annual growth rate.

These AI nannies provide personalised advice, monitor children’s safety, support learning with adaptive tools and offer parents real-time insights into their children’s well-being and development. The report notes, “AI-powered virtual assistants provide parents with invaluable assistance and direction, providing them with professional counsel and knowledge on efficient parenting methods and child-rearing approaches”.

A global 2020 IEEE survey found that 81% of Indian parents would employ robot nannies to help their children with homework and 76% would even trust robot nannies to watch children under the age of two full-time, showcasing high levels of comfort with AI caregiving in Asia , outpacing other parts of the world. The study highlighted that, for many parents, “the adoption of robot nannies would alleviate a significant amount of their Covid-19-related stress”.

AdvantagesContemporary research points to several benefits of AI nannies and digital parenting supports:

• Personalised engagement: Studies highlight how AI parenting aids coordinate school calendars, plan extracurricular activities, ensure safety and monitor overall health, transforming parenting routines through automation and data-driven recommendations.
• Adaptive learning: AI-driven educational apps adjust content and pacing to keep children engaged and help build foundational skills. According to a recent 2025 review on AI in childhood education, AI excels in delivering personalised education tailored to each child’s unique learning styles and speeds.
• Remote monitoring and safety: With wearables and monitoring devices, AI allows parents peace of mind through real-time supervision of children’s activities and well-being.

Key challenges and ethical considerations
Despite these advantages, researchers also warn of significant drawbacks -

• Attachment and social development: In a highly-cited 2010 review, researchers raised concerns about over-reliance on robot caregivers. Children can and will form pseudo-relationships with robots and attribute mental states and sociality to them but children do better when placed with childminders who are highly responsive to them. The risk is that AI, while responsive, can’t deliver genuine human empathy or foster secure attachments in the same way as a caring adult.
• Privacy and security risks: AI-driven monitoring requires parents to navigate complex privacy issues, as more of their children’s data becomes digitized and potentially vulnerable.
• Equity and cost: Advanced AI nannies may be unaffordable for some families and wide adoption could widen existing digital divides, especially across economic or geographic lines.

Mohta opined, "The important aspect relates to the idea of intentionality and boundaries. Parenting with AI will not displace human judgment; it will expand it. Rather than documenting every moment, parents can pay attention to AI, which provides insights when it matters most. Rather than suggesting thirty-minute video streams to keep an eye on a child's recreational opportunity, AI could examine activity patterns and then alert parents to a child's anomalous long duration inactivity or repeated attempts to access content unapproachable to the child's age. These insights are a means for parents to intrude avoidantly and provide support proactively, rather than reactively, without intruding or micromanaging the activity."

He added, "That is one of the most fascinating possibilities related to the emotional intelligence aspect of AI’s potential. Smart AI systems can respond to changes in a parent’s child's mood or stress through tone of voice, body language, or facial expression - helping to make parents aware of more nuanced indicators of distress, such as anxiety, frustration, or loneliness, which they may otherwise miss."

Nonetheless, balancing the safety and surveillance spectrum comes with risks. If children start to see AI as an invisible watcher, it could eventually diminish their trust and autonomy. Parental discretion and transparency are vital in this area. Mohta suggested, "Discussing with children what the AI tools are for - allowing children to see the sensors and cameras as safety measures instead of tracking devices - could help children feel informed and involved. Using AI tools as part of the children's routine - whether checking the air quality in their room or monitoring their digital activity - helps convey that the child's safety is the priority, not controlling their behaviour."

Numerous companies, prioritising digital learning and child development tools, demonstrate the capacity of technology to support parents without evicting the experience of childhood in our current reality. Mohta revealed, "While AI monitoring can serve a role similar to that of a co-pilot in parenting, it can also distinguish between concerning behaviours and observational snapshots in the environment. This allows us as parents to actively engage in the heart of parenting where nurturing, teaching, and connecting with our children occur."

AI nannies are rapidly becoming part of the parenting toolkit across the globe. Their use in childcare and education, from scheduling and tutoring to health monitoring, brings notable benefits, flexibility and support for busy families. Yet, as research underscores, they carry complex risks for attachment, equity and privacy, demanding careful regulation and mindful integration. The future of parenting may be intelligent and automated but it will remain most effective when balanced with real human connection.

In other words, the future of parenting is really about finding a balance between using AI monitoring to protect children as they learn, situate them in a safe learning environment and support their ongoing safety but still allow room for curiosity, exploration, play and independence. Intelligent monitoring does not have to just be a quiet observer; it can be a quiet companion that supports the landscapes of raising children who are safe and free to explore the world we live in.