California Tech Engineer Criticized for Suggesting AI Voice for Newborn

A software engineer working at a San Francisco-based AI research lab has drawn criticism for suggesting the use of artificial intelligence to read to his newborn child. Alvin Sng, an engineer at Factory, shared a social media post detailing a conversation with his wife about bedtime stories.

When his wife asked him to read to their baby, Sng responded by saying he could train a voice model to do it, adding, "Parenting hits different when you work in AI." The post, later deleted, quickly garnered backlash online, with many users calling his idea "bleak" and criticizing him as a "horrible father."

"These people’s brains are broken," commented finance professional Andrew Lynch. Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff for Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, described the idea as "extremely bleak."

Some online commenters expressed broader concerns about the increasing integration of AI into everyday life, particularly in areas involving human connection. "Truly can’t get over the fact that this technology came in and instead of using it to replace fixing toilets or folding clothes, people are using it to make movies and read to their kids," one user wrote. Another commenter expressed fears that such technology could lead to a generation unable to feel "human love."

Amidst the controversy, Sng later posted on X, "Ok, enough jokes for a while. I’ll go back to reading bedtime stories for now."

The incident occurs as AI technology faces increased scrutiny regarding its impact on children. Reports have emerged of chatbots encouraging harmful behavior, leading to legislative action in California aimed at establishing stricter guidelines for AI interactions with minors.