Can AI Make Us Better Parents (and Better Co-Workers)?

What Happens When We Say, “Let’s Find Out” Together

The other day I asked ChatGPT a question that a child might ask: Why do squirrels have such long tails?

The answer surprised me. It explained that squirrels use their tails for balance, for warmth, for communication, even as a kind of parachute when they fall. I’d never thought about most of that. What struck me wasn’t just the completeness of the answer, but the feeling that I’d just learned something quietly marvelous.

It made me think: maybe this is one of the overlooked powers of AI. Not the sweeping, existential forces we worry or dream about, but how it can enrich humble human moments. The ones that begin in the back seats of cars, when a child asks why.

Ever since children learned the word “why,” parents have faced the steady barrage of questions that follow. Why is the sky blue? Why do squirrels have such long tails? The answers are often improvised or strategically vague because it’s the best we can do. But what happens now that parents can ask AI those same questions, and get replies that are not only accurate but illuminating?

It’s easy to assume that AI would make the search for answers more sterile, less human. But I suspect the opposite is possible. When a parent can turn a child’s curiosity into a shared exploration rather than an awkward guess, something shifts. The parent becomes a companion in wonder and discovery. They can say, “Let’s find out,” and follow the question where it leads.

The same principle applies in the workplace. The best collaborations begin when people are willing to admit what they don’t know. AI can lower the stakes of that vulnerability. When the need to appear certain fades, teams can investigate questions side by side, letting the technology handle the facts while they focus on meaning. Curiosity, in that sense, becomes a form of respect for each other’s thinking.

That mindset matters. Curiosity shapes how children come to know the world, and how adults continue to think within it. When we stay curious, we pass along a posture of attention — an openness that makes learning and collaboration possible. This is where AI can be our ally. A moment of wonder that begins with a squirrel’s tail can ripple outward into anything else we decide to explore.

Oh, and by the way…

Squirrels have remarkably long, bushy tails that serve several essential functions:

• Balance and agility: The tail acts as a counterbalance when squirrels make those impressive acrobatic leaps between trees and run along narrow branches. They can shift their tail position to adjust their center of gravity mid-jump.

• Communication: Squirrels flick and wave their tails to signal to other squirrels – whether it's a warning about predators, territorial displays, or social interactions.

• Temperature regulation: The bushy tail works like a portable parasol in summer heat, providing shade. In winter, squirrels wrap their tails around themselves like a blanket for insulation. 

• Protection from predators: When threatened, squirrels can make themselves look larger by fluffing up their tail. Researchers also suggest the tail might distract predators or cushion falls.

• Parachute effect: While squirrels can't fly, their tails do create drag that helps slow their descent if they fall, reducing injury risk. 

The tail is essentially a multipurpose survival tool that's been refined through evolution. Different squirrel species have varying tail sizes depending on their habitat – tree squirrels tend to have the bushiest tails since they need maximum balance and communication capabilities in their arboreal lifestyle.