New AI app gets kids outdoors instead of staring at screens

Most apps designed for kids encourage them to stare at a screen. Quest does the opposite. This new tool uses artificial intelligence (AI — computer software that can learn and understand things like humans do) to turn a simple walk in nature into an adventure.

Here's how it works: kids hold up their phone or tablet to look at plants, animals, or insects around them. The AI recognizes what they're looking at and tells them interesting facts about it. A butterfly becomes a lesson in nature. A leaf becomes a story. The child stays engaged and curious — but they're looking around the world, not down at it.

This matters because many parents and experts worry that kids spend too much time glued to screens. Quest flips that problem on its head. Instead of a distraction from nature, technology becomes a bridge to it. Kids can still use digital tools, but in a way that pulls them outside and encourages real-world exploration and learning.

The tool is designed for families who want to make outdoor time more interesting without replacing it with more screen time. For children, it makes nature feel like a game of discovery. For parents, it's a way to combine learning, activity, and time away from typical apps.