How AI is becoming the third parent, and why that’s scary

Thirteen-year-old Maira* scrunches her nose as her mom serves her sabudana khichdi for lunch. Instead of picking up the spoon, she picks up her phone, clicks a photo, uploads it to Gemini, and enquires about the nutritional value of the dish. She walks off saying, “I am not having 350 to 650 empty calories. This is a high-carbohydrate dish with barely any protein or fibre.” Maira’s mom runs after her, reminding her that sabudana used to be her favourite dish and nutritionists call it an ‘energy booster’. But she knows that it’s a losing battle — the AI’s verdict is final.