We are now living among history’s very first “AI” generation. From the Alexas they converse with, to their robot playmates, to the YouTube wormholes t...

We are now living among history’s very first “AI” generation. From the Alexas they converse with, to their robot playmates, to the YouTube wormholes they disappear into, the children and adolescents of today are born into a world increasingly powered by virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI). AI is not only (I) revamping what humans can do, it is shaping our behaviors, our preferences, our perceptions of the world and of ourselves. Older people still remember life before AI and the digital world - our references, anchors and pole stars pre-date the fourth Industrial Revolution. Not so for the millions of children and adolescents who were born into it. One of the most pressing concerns is that not everyone can tap into the opportunities offered by this transformation. According to UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as many as two-thirds of the world’s children do not have access to the Internet at home. In the old-fashioned physical world, we evolved norms and standards to protect children. For instance, there are policies and protocols for a child traveling alone as an unaccompanied minor. Parents are understandably __(II) to let their children be photographed by the media, and in many countries, news outlets blur children’s faces to protect them. While video gaming and chat forums offer an online space for children to socialize with their friends, multiple reports identify such virtual playgrounds as a source of child predators. Short of banning screen time entirely, parents are hard-pressed to keep tabs on just what their children are doing online, and with whom. With online homework, this has become even more difficult. Even if this is an ancillary consequence of the underlying business model, the damage is done - children, from a tender age through adolescence, are becoming digitally addicted. Similarly, right when children and youth are forming their initial views of the world, they are being sucked into virtual deep space, including the universe of fake news and conspiracy theories. (III) Many AI toys now come pre-programmed with their own (A) amusing and voice, and they may provide youngsters with (B) personality and creative options, with some even (C) cognitive improved reading, social skills, and (D) fostering development. All this is thrown at our children just when they are starting to try to make sense of who they are and the world they live in; right when it is so important to help them understand and appreciate different perspectives, preferences, beliefs and customs, to build bridges of understanding and empathy and goodwill.

Choose the most suitable antonym of the word ‘PRESSING’ as used in the passage.