Can AI help Chicago parents this summer? Maybe so.
A few days ago, I was at an end-of-the-year picnic at my son's elementary school. It was a warm, beautiful celebratory atmosphere. Kids running free, eating pizza, playing basketball, riding bikes. Just joyful. Summer right around the corner is a special feeling in Chicago. Summer is a special feeling in Chicago. This is one thing I've learned since moving here almost 8 years ago. Let me clarify right away that I live in Evanston before I get reprimanded by the real Chicagoans who do not play when it comes to their city’s boundaries! That's another thing I've learned...But I digress. What I've learned is that in the summer, you better stay put. Save the California, Florida, or Arizona trip for the winter. Chicago summer is magic. It dazzles and then it’s gone. Just like a firefly.
As parents, we try to capture some of the magic for our children. Camping trips, summer camps, summer festivals. Picnics and BBQs. That's where it’s at. Can you sense my excitement for summer? I’m ready! We earn our summers in the Midwest goddamnit.
This is what I was talking about with a few other dads at the end of the year picnic, while we half watched our kids frolic around while double fisting slices of pizza and cookies. One of them, let's call him James, said he had taken the entire month of June off from work to spend quality time with his three young children. Which, by the way, I love. It feels like we're always hearing narratives about parents who don't like their kids, who are annoyed by their kids, or who can't wait to drop them off at camp, daycare, or with the babysitter. I love meeting parents, especially dads, who light up with joy when talking about their children. Don't get me wrong, I love my adult time, but nothing tops spending time with your kids. Truly. I know I sound like a sappy dad when I say that. So be it. Witnessing your kids soak up a Chicago summer is one of the best things ever.
One of the other dads asked James, "So what are you planning to do with the kids during your time off?" James’s response was really interesting, and what inspired this post in the first place.
"Oh man, we're doing everything! I used AI to create a plan based on everything happening this summer in the City. I'm taking the kids to all the neighborhood festivals, parks, and beaches we've never visited, as well as new exhibits at all our favorite museums. The AI helped me find a bunch of Black-owned restaurants we had never even heard of." Mind you, James and his family have been here literally for generations. James had prompted ChatGPT to create a hyper-customized itinerary that took into account all kinds of details according to his family’s interests and needs. The AI figured out how to sequence and plan activities to take full advantage of special summer events, all filtered based on his personal and cultural preferences, and while taking into account cost, distance, traffic, etc. It may not seem like the most advanced or fanciful use of AI, but as a parent who constantly feels overwhelmed by planning activities for my kids, I must confess I was impressed.
The counterposition is not lost on me either, by the way. I'm very much of the mind that a deeply skeptical stance on AI and its increasing intrusion into our lives is necessary. But it’s also the case that I’m a tired parent who is open to suggestions on interesting, culturally rich, and cost-effective ways to spend the summer with my kids. If we're living in a world where AI is being used to advance space exploration, science, business, you name it, I’m glad James is using it to help him plan his month off with his kids. Maybe I’ll do the same.
