The idea began as an internal initiative connected to last year’s Children’s Day activities at the 4iG Csoport. Drawings submitted to a company contest were given a non-standard afterlife: using ChatGPT and other AI tools, the group turned the children’s artwork into a short animated film called Kapcsolatmentők, in which forest animals repair a communication network damaged in a storm.
Why the meeting of fairy tale and technology matters
The project was not only about producing a children’s film but about highlighting a juxtaposition: a traditional genre for kids meeting a powerful technological instrument. 4iG Csoport said that as a technology company it has a responsibility to demonstrate how AI can be used both creatively and responsibly. The Kapcsolatmentők film thus served as both a technological experiment and a communal experience that can strengthen parent–child bonds.
Stories reflect their era’s concerns
Generational researcher Steigervald Krisztián argued at the event that a fairy tale is never merely a tale: stories of any era convey its most pressing questions, fears and expectations to children. He pointed to Grimm’s tales or narratives from the socialist era as historical examples and noted that in the digital age stories increasingly incorporate motifs of technology — in Kapcsolatmentők’s submissions, wifi symbols and other 21st-century communication elements appear.
Early learning and the power of examples
Steigervald emphasized that young children primarily learn through experiences rather than abstract information: the neural underpinnings for rational thought develop later, so patterns, experiences and relational situations are decisive for those under about 10–12 years. He warned that parents’ phone habits become models for children, and therefore preserving storytelling and parental presence in family life is particularly important.
Reading habits and potential consequences
The presentation recalled a 2020 self-report survey by the Országos Széchényi Könyvtár, which found that 53 percent of Hungarians read no books in a year. Steigervald suggested this implies many children do not see their parents reading; if books and storytime are absent from daily life, it may affect the development of attention, imagination and decision-making later on.
Awareness and connection: parenting strategies in the AI era
Participants in the roundtable titled How should parents relate to AI? discussed balancing traditional reading with digital stories. Beszédes Henrietta, founder of the Boldog Gyerek blog, said the issue is primarily about family organization: digital devices can provide caregivers with 20–30 minutes of quiet, which is not inherently bad, but it matters whether that time is balanced with conscious reading, shared conversation and emotional connection.
Schools and teaching critical AI use
Flakstad Emőke, head of corporate social responsibility at 4iG Csoport, noted that modern families often live under different time pressures than previous generations, so parents should not be made to feel guilty; what matters is creating shared moments for conversation and laughter. Psychologist Sipka Bence stressed that while reading stories, the interaction between parent and child—in questions, responses and naming inner states—is central to children’s emotional and cognitive development.
When does AI aid creation, and when does it replace effort?
A major theme was whether AI supports creativity or performs tasks in a child’s stead. Flakstad cited an example from a vocational school where 16–17-year-old students, guided by Hungarian and IT teachers, used AI to process a literary work and then turned it into a board game. The emphasis was on teaching students to relate critically to the tool, craft good prompts, interpret feedback and collaborate to create something new.
Pedagogical approaches to AI
Digital pedagogy expert Fegyverneki Gergő argued that banning is not an effective strategy: AI should be tamed, not outlawed. He said teachers and parents play key roles in teaching children critical use, error recognition and source checking. Sipka distinguished two AI-usage styles: the “centaur” user who deliberately divides work phases and decides what to delegate to the machine, and the “cyborg” who remains in continuous interaction with AI; Sipka suggested children should first learn to break tasks into parts and define goals.
Conclusion: boundaries and presence
One of the event’s central messages was that AI should not be feared but framed: achieving that requires not only technical knowledge but family awareness, parental presence, pedagogical courage and generational self-knowledge. 4iG Csoport’s event highlighted that today’s children are growing up in a world already permeated by AI; the question is not whether we can shield them from it, but whether we can sit beside them and tell them how to live in such a world.
The content was produced on commission from 4iG Csoport with the cooperation of HVG BrandLab. Editors of HVG weekly and hvg.hu did not participate in creating the article.
