Executive Functions in the Age of AI

Can AI help people with ADHD organize their thoughts, communicate more clearly, and manage everyday demands? And when does helpful support begin to replace the thinking and skill development we still need?

In this episode of ADHDtime on Air, Daniella Karidi, PhD, talks with Michael Delman about executive functions, ADHD, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in our lives.

Michael Delman is the founder and CEO of Beyond BookSmart, an executive function coaching company supporting children and adults. He is an educator, executive function expert, and the author of Your Kid’s Gonna Be Okay: Building the Executive Function Skills Your Child Needs in the Age of Attention.

Michael explains executive functions as the skills that help us act on our priorities with less stress. He and Daniella explore how these skills affect much more than school or work, including cooking, planning a vacation, managing competing responsibilities and regulating emotions.

They also discuss practical ways people with ADHD can use AI to capture divergent thinking, organize ideas, reduce writing barriers, and receive feedback. At the same time, they examine concerns about overreliance, compulsive use, inaccurate information, skill erosion, privacy, and the growing use of AI in coaching, education, and healthcare.

The conversation then turns to parenting. Michael explains why supporting a child does not mean solving every problem for them, how parents can help children develop self-awareness, and why our own emotional state matters when a child is overwhelmed.