Bedtime Meets AI: Palisades Couple Creates Kids Storytelling App

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Imagine how artificial intelligence can transform one of families' most cherished, time-honored rituals: the bedtime story.

That's exactly what Pacific Palisades residents and entrepreneurs Dr. Renee Dua and Nick Desai did. Their new Apple app, SmartDreams, which launched Tuesday, is meant to give kids a tool to create their own stories with rich, vivid detail — with a little help from technology.

"The idea for SmartDreams was born out of those precious moments with our daughter before bedtime,” Dua said in a news release. “One night at bedtime she asked me to tell her a story about a bear, a forest and a pizza — and inspiration struck.

"As I struggled to bring those elements to life in a story that could both entertain and include her in the process, I knew that other parents who cherish storytime with their children at bedtime might love turning their children’s minds into a co-pilot for the nighttime ritual. That’s when we decided to create a solution that would bring the unique magic and childlike creativity to life."

When kids open the SmartDreams app, they choose from a plethora of options — magical creatures, heroes, sidekicks, locations, foods and more — to create their own story through generative AI.

The storybooks and chapters can be saved and shared. The company says children's information and creations "remain 100% protected via the platform’s private, secure, and safe interface that requires parent permission to operate."

"Telling bedtime stories is a sacred ritual for our family," Desai said. "There are few things in this life that are more rewarding than seeing my child's imagination come to life. We're always teaching our kids to use any new technology for the greater good, and that's exactly what we're doing with SmartDreams."

You can check out SmartDreams on the Apple App Store.