CNN This Morning Interview: Why Generation Alpha & AI Will Change Everything

Generation Alpha those born from 2010 through 2025 are the first humans raised in a world where artificial intelligence isn’t emerging. It’s embedded. AI is not a tool to them; it’s a baseline. It’s how they learn, how they play, how they see the world.

And that shift? It’s not incremental. It’s exponential. Today I joined CNN This Morning to unpack this transformation and why every parent, educator, and business leader needs to pay attention—now.

AI Is the New Operating System of Childhood

Millennials grew up with the Internet. Gen Z came of age in the era of social media and smartphones. But Generation Alpha is different. They’re the first generation raised from birth with AI in the household.

That means they’re interacting with technology in human-like ways. They talk to Alexa, play with chatbots, generate art on iPads. These aren’t gadgets—they’re co-pilots in their development.

The result? Their cognitive and emotional development is being shaped by AI at the most impressionable stage of life. We’ve never seen anything like it.

From Playground to Prompt Engineering

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about screen time. It’s about how Gen Alpha learns to think.

In the past, learning meant memorizing facts and spitting them back on tests. But in an AI-powered world, facts are cheap. What matters now is your ability to:

• Frame the right questions

• Make sense of complex outputs

• Collaborate with intelligent systems

• Adapt rapidly in uncertain environments

These are the new table stakes. Yet most schools are still grading students on how well they can recall the periodic table from memory. That’s a problem.

Education Is Due for a Massive Rethink

I’ve spoken with hundreds of educators who are trying to make sense of this shift. And the common thread? They’re overwhelmed.

Textbooks don’t account for ChatGPT. Curricula aren’t designed for real-time, AI-augmented problem solving. And teachers—many of whom were trained decades ago—are flying blind when it comes to integrating these tools in meaningful, responsible ways.

This is the biggest redefinition of “literacy” in modern history. Reading and writing still matter. But so do prompting, verification, and machine collaboration.

We need to build education systems that develop curious, adaptable, AI-fluent thinkers—not human photocopiers.

Parenting in the Age of Machine Companions

This isn’t just a school issue. It’s a parenting issue.

AI is already in the home. From bedtime stories generated by language models to family portraits turned into coloring books by diffusion models, these tools are reshaping how parents bond with their kids.

But there’s a darker side too. A recent lawsuit alleged that an AI chatbot’s interaction may have contributed to a teenager’s suicide. That should be a wake-up call.

Parents need to stop outsourcing the conversation. Get your hands on the keyboard. Explore these tools with your kids. Understand the implications—both the promise and the risk.

AI can enhance childhood. But only if it’s guided by human values. That starts at home.

Work, Redefined—Before They Even Enter It

AI isn’t just changing how Gen Alpha learns. It’s changing what they’ll do for a living.

According to global labor forecasts, over 80% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. And the ones we do recognize—law, finance, design, marketing—are being transformed right now by automation, AI agents, and generative tools.

For Gen Alpha, job prep isn’t about learning a fixed trade. It’s about building adaptive thinking, emotional intelligence, and AI co-working skills.

\They’ll be managing bots before they manage teams. Building products with algorithms. Creating value through creativity, synthesis, and human insight—things machines still can’t do on their own.

AI Literacy Is the New Digital Literacy

Every generation had its fluency threshold.

• Baby Boomers: phone calls and typewriters

• Gen X: computers and email

• Millennials: the Internet

• Gen Z: smartphones and apps

• Gen Alpha: artificial intelligence

Knowing how to write a good prompt, verify an AI response, or co-create with a generative model is quickly becoming as essential as reading comprehension or spreadsheet navigation.

And yet, most corporate training, school instruction, and parental guidance is still stuck in the pre-AI world.

Brands and Businesses: This Is Your Wake-Up Call

If you’re a brand, the implications here are massive.

Today’s 10-year-old is tomorrow’s consumer and their expectations are already being shaped by intelligent systems. They won’t wait for your onboarding email. They’ll expect instant answers from virtual agents. Hyper-personalized product recommendations. Interactive content, not static ads.

Their digital footprints are deeper, more nuanced, and more actionable than anything we’ve seen. That’s a powerful opportunity—and a profound responsibility.

The brands that win will be the ones that build trust in an algorithmic world. That show up not just with the right message, but in the right moment—intelligently, empathetically, and at scale.

What Happens Next?

We’re not going backwards.

Banning AI in schools is like banning the Internet in 2001. It’s fear masquerading as protection. The only path forward is integration with intention.

That means:

• Teaching prompt literacy alongside phonics

• Introducing AI ethics in middle school

• Creating family-level AI usage guidelines

• Rethinking college majors around human-AI collaboration

• Upskilling every worker in prompt engineering, verification, and storytelling

We’re living through a generational divide unlike anything in history. Gen Alpha won’t just use AI. They’ll grow up with it. And that changes the rules—for parenting, education, work, and life.

The future belongs to those who understand this and act accordingly.

Matt Britton on L.A.’s Spectrum News 1: Why Gen Alpha + AI Is the Biggest Shift in Parenting, Learning, and Humanity

In a new interview on Spectrum News 1 Los Angeles, bestselling author and Suzy CEO Matt Britton joined the conversation to break down how AI is fundamentally changing family dynamics, early education, and the mental development of Generation Alpha—the first generation to grow up with AI in the home.

“Gen Alpha will never know a world without AI. That changes how their brains will be wired—and how they’ll relate to the world around them,” Britton explained.

Parenting in the Age of AI: Opportunity + Risk

As AI tools like ChatGPT and Suno become as common in homes as tablets and TVs, parents are asking the right questions: How much AI is too much? What’s safe? What’s helpful?

Britton offered a balanced take:

“Parents can use AI creatively—to make songs, coloring books, or educational games. But there needs to be a clear boundary between helpful interaction and unchecked dependence.”

He encouraged families to use AI to unlock creativity and curiosity, not shortcut learning. At the same time, he warned of the real risks if parents hand over too much agency to chatbots and automation—especially without understanding the privacy concerns and psychological implications.

AI Relationships: When Technology Starts to Feel Human

Britton didn’t shy away from the darker edge of AI’s potential. As he noted on Spectrum News:

“For the first time, kids can interact with tech like they do with humans. That opens the door to real relationships with machines—sometimes even emotional ones.”

He cited a tragic real-world case of a young person who formed an unhealthy connection with an AI chatbot—leading to devastating consequences. The warning is clear: AI isn’t neutral. It’s persuasive. And parents need to stay involved, aware, and ahead of the curve.

Education Needs to Catch Up Fast

One of Britton’s strongest points: our education system is still built around a model that no longer matches reality.

“We still teach kids to memorize and regurgitate facts. But AI has devalued the knowledge economy. What matters now is creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking.

Britton argued that Gen Alpha’s future success won’t hinge on how well they memorize state capitals, but on how well they think, question, and innovate.

What Parents Should Do Now

Here are three immediate takeaways from Britton’s Spectrum News 1 interview:

1. Introduce AI early—but intentionally. Use it as a collaborative tool, not a replacement for attention, learning, or parenting.

2. Watch the relationship. If your child talks to AI more than they talk to friends or family, it’s time to reassess.

3. Push schools to evolve. The education system won’t change on its own. Parents and educators need to demand curriculum that prepares kids for an AI-powered world.

Matt Britton’s new book, Generation AI: How Gen Alpha + the Age of AI Will Change Everything, is now a national bestseller—and essential reading for any parent, educator, or innovator trying to keep up with this moment of massive cultural transformation.