Why We're Building MyDD.ai

January 29, 2026

Kids are engaging with AI, whether we like it or not. The popular AI platforms are made for adults and optimized for engagement. This has had negative consequences for our children: they are exposed to adult content, potentially psychologically manipulated, and their parents have no idea.

Parents shouldn’t have to choose between letting their kids use AI and protecting them.

MyDD.ai is a safe, COPPA-compliant AI platform built specifically for children, with parental controls and psychological safety as foundational design principles, not bolt-ons.

The Seed That Grew Into MyDD.ai

The idea emerged when Jake was talking with his mom on his back porch. As moms do, she was making sure Jake was doing ok after a previous AI start-up, ChatCivic, folded. He said yes and they moved on to an AI-related news story: a child had just committed suicide after being encouraged to do so by a chatbot. As a parent, it’s the kind of story that stays with you. Jake and his mom were lamenting when his mom turned to him and said, “you could build something to fix this.” The seed was planted and grew into MyDD.ai.

Our Founders

Our founders, Jake and Dan, are both fathers who use AI extensively and are in awe of how powerful these tools are. We are also both deeply worried about how it will be used by our children and what effects it will have on them as people. We want well rounded children who are great citizens and technically literate.

Jake Rozran

I am the father of two children, ages 8 and 9 (in early 2026). I’ve seen them become comatose while watching YouTube Kids or playing video games. I’ve also seen them light up while using AI. My son loves to draw; He loves making adventure maps, then copying them into his notebook. My daughter laughs in delight when we turn her or my wife into a 100 year old. I want them to be able to use and enjoy AI, but I am scared of them separating from humans… from reality. I don’t want them to prefer talking to a chatbot over their friends. I worry about what they won’t learn to do themselves. I don’t want to lose them to a screen. I want them to be great kids, friends, and learners.

My background is in data science and technology. I have firsthand experience teaching as an adjunct professor at Villanova University. I am leveraging AI to help with my daily work, have implemented real AI solutions in multiple professional settings, and am fascinated with the industry and its players.

I don’t believe it is an all-or-nothing proposition. I think we can provide our children safe ways to interact with this extraordinary tool. This is why I am building MyDD.

Dan Larson

I am a father of three (two teenagers and one in elementary school), a data scientist, and a technology enthusiast who has been involved with Large Language Models (LLMs) since before they became mainstream chatbots. My professional life involves building analytic, machine learning, and AI tooling for use in enterprise applications. As a father of two teens, I see every day the draw to use technology in my kids’ everyday lives. From the desire to engage with friends to making their homework a little easier.

I’ve grown especially critical of social media and big tech companies that prioritize engagement and profit over developing truly great tools, often turning the user into the product. As a parent, this has presented a significant challenge: how do I expose my children to the benefits of technology—including exciting new tools like AI—without exposing them to its addictive, distracting, and exploitative aspects?

Following the advice of thinkers like Jonathan Haidt, I believe the best solution is open dialogue. In our home, we maintain a healthy, critical conversation about technology, from social media and phones to AI.

This conviction is the driving force behind my involvement in MyDD.

Why Now?

64% of US teens are using AI chatbots; 28% use them daily (Pew Research Center). They’re on platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot, tools built for adults. AI is here. Your kids are using it.

There is an increasing tension in AI. This is a powerful tool that stands to benefit humanity in many ways. On the other side, nothing comes for free - we do not yet understand the impacts that this tool will have on our children.

As we learn more on both sides of that argument, the tension increases. Instead of ignoring both sides, we built a compromise: an AI platform that will expose and prepare our children for the future with strong limits and oversight.

We are building MyDD because we believe kids and teens should be able to experience the power of exciting technology without the risk of being the product. They deserve to reap the benefits of these tools—to learn, create, and have fun—without sacrificing their critical thinking skills or having their personal data sold to the highest bidder. MyDD is designed to provide that safe space, offering parents the right to implement the necessary safeguards and guardrails to help their kids navigate the digital world responsibly.