I built a free site that puts a new illustrated bedtime story up every night. Would this survive YOUR bedtime?

[DailyStoryItay]

Hello MN. Fee paid, first time here.

I'm Itay. I left my tech job a while back and now build free kids' games and stories on my own. For the past year my evenings have gone into dailybedtimestory.com. It's a free website. No app, no sign-up, no ads. Every night there's one new short story with pictures, gentle narration and a little song at the end. You open it at bedtime and it takes about 5 minutes.

To be straight about how it's made: I use AI tools to create the stories and pictures. That's what lets one person publish a new story every day for free. I know a lot of parents are sick of AI content, and that's partly why I'm here. If it doesn't feel warm enough for bedtime, I'd rather find out now than after another year of building.

Money side: there's nothing to buy. No premium tier, no card details, nothing hidden.

If you're willing to try it at bedtime once or twice this week, I'd love to know:

1. Did your kids ask for it again the next night? This is the only thing I really care about.
2. What made you wince? Story, pictures, voice, anything. Be blunt.
3. Could you see it becoming part of your actual bedtime routine, or is it a "nice once" thing?

Everyone who comes back and answers by Sunday goes into a draw for a £25 Amazon voucher (I'll PM the winner).

The site: dailybedtimestory.com

I'll read and reply to everything myself. Be as brutal as you like.

I guess the question for me is what problem are you looking to solve with this? Reading my son a bedtime story (or making one up) is one of my favourite parts of parenting and I consider it a privilege. I don’t really want to be replaced by AI.

Nobody wants garbage AI slop! Surely this must be absolutely obvious if you do 5mins of research under any content that's AI generated.

I feel sorry for the poor child whose parents can’t even find ten minutes to read them a bedtime story without a screen and AI.

No. God. This sounds awful. Why would you want to do this? Bedtime routine should involve a withdrawal from tech. Just human beings and some paper. It's not as if there is a shortage of gorgeous children's books about.

Seems to be a rash or people pushing pointless 'family' apps etc on MN at the moment.

This, basically. I saw an ad for an app the other day that will write an entire novel for you with a few prompts.

Human beings are sowing the seeds of their destruction with this nonsense and much as I love the odd funny gif or meme or song (there are some classics about Count Binface) there should be limits.

Also, if you've left your tech job how are you supporting yourself while promoting this, especially as you're stressing it is free?

This creation does not solve any “ problem “

books are cheap in charity shoos and free in the library also they come home from school for free I've just donated two big bags of fab books in great condition

my kids want the same story over and over again snd like turning the page and lifting flaps

sorry not tried it but nothing would make me want to even for free sorry

What an utterly depressing thing. I hate the 21st century.

Think you quoted the wrong person? Or are you just agreeing with me it's a bad idea?

It just seems so utterly pointless. If you have a great novel inside you that you want to share with the world, wonderful; if you don't... well, enough people have already felt that motivation and have written far more novels than anybody could ever read in a single lifetime, so what on earth would compel you to tell AI to write another one, but to put your own name on the cover?

Exactly.
Why on earth would anyone bother to read something that nobody bothered to write?

@Waitingfordoggo has posted a far more articulate version of what I was going to say.

When my kids were little, cuddling up with a dogeared favourite book and sharing the story and doing the voices were all part of the magic of bonding with your child, whether that was down time or bedtime.

Children need an actual parent, reading an actual book with actual parental love and contact. Not this. This is dystopian and depressing.

An AI-written novel? Well at least nowadays you could instruct AI to read it, and save you from having to read it yourself!😁

Mine are grown now, but if it wasnt The Blue Balloon, Thomas, Mr Men, Burglar Bill or any of the other lovingly written and read favourites there would have been war. I once tried to substitute a story tape. He not only wanted me to cuddle up when it was on, but read along with it. And this was proper people. Its another step to a soulless life.

There have been loads of accusations (quite possibly not always unfounded) of bots starting threads on MN. It always seems mad to me that AI would start threads - and then actual humans hate them, so only other bots read them... what do bots actually get from it, if they have no human emotions, interest or motivations?

To me, it's like the high-tech version of shops selling bin bags that are already full of rubbish, to 'save you the bother' of having to create any rubbish of your own!!

Yes, I really cannot understand what possesses people to see the pleasures of human life and social interactions as chores that a machine can do for you instead.

I'm all for computers doing millions of boring calculations so that I don't have to; but when it comes to spending precious quality time with my DC, I want to do that myself, thanks.

You lost me at AI

We are quite close to the time when bots decide what (and what not) to show us when we use search engines to look for information. Which is not all that far from deciding what we are allowed to see.

Slippery slope.

Sorry but I would not let my child anywhere near absolute brain dead nonsense like this. I read to them every night as I want them to be articulate, intelligent, curious, empathetic individuals. None of which your site will encourage.
I want them to know the joy of reading a fabulous book by a brilliant author who has crafted their writing really well. This is drivel.

I didn’t look any further than AI generated pictures that absolutely give me the ick. There are so many wonderful children’s books why would you use these?

Bedtime stories are for bonding and communication, not handing your kid a phone.

@DailyStoryItay can you talk me through the rationale for this? If it makes you no money, there's no sign up, no ads...what do you gain? I guess you'll be able to see website statistics for reach, but the only way I can see it going is that you'll try to monetise it, or sell it to nurseries, or some brand.

I prefer no bed time screen time

Yes I thought the OP said they'd answer all questions and people could be as brutal as they like. But they appear to have buggered off so so much for that!

Nothing can replace that closeness and cosiness of cuddling up with your child and reading a story together. It also generates conversation and creates a safe space for children to talk about things that might be worrying them. This is what the bedtime story is about.

Is the OP ever going to come back?