Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Earlier this year, the Star Ferry increased its fares in an effort to survive, but even so, its fate remains uncertain. No one wants this Hong Kong institution gone, and there is another way to boost revenue that has been staring us in the face, especially in the last few years: allow dogs on the Star Ferry. Many Hongkongers discovered the joy of dog ownership during the pandemic, and much of Hong Kong has capitalised on this trend. The waterfront promenade on Hong Kong Island is now dog-friendly and many dog parks have opened in recent years. Malls such as IFC Mall and Peak Galleria allow dogs, and there are even hotels offering pet-friendly staycations. Hong Kong is as pet-friendly as it has ever been – except when it comes to crossing the harbour. As it stands, you either need a car or must take an expensive taxi ride to cross the harbour, which cuts off many dog-friendly activities for a lot of people. Most ferries leaving the Central Piers, save for the Star Ferry, allow dogs to board with their owners. Dog-lovers also seem to be less price-sensitive; if you told a dog owner it was HK$5 (US$0.64) for a ferry ride but an additional HK$10-20 for the dog, they would happily pay. Worried about other passengers who might be scared of dogs? Then allow dogs to board only every other ferry, or allow them only on the lower deck; we can keep those cynophobic tourists safe too. Do you know how many island-bound dog lovers would go to the East Kowloon Waterfront if they could take their pets on the Star Ferry? How many dogophiles from Kowloon would take their pups to The Peak if they didn’t have to spend on a taxi each time? Allowing dogs to board with their owners is something that other ferry companies have dealt with easily. For the sake of the Star Ferry’s survival, it’s about time it got on with it. Garron Chiu, Kennedy Town 8 essential skills for children growing up with AI The advent of computers and the internet in the past decades was once considered revolutionary and intimidating. Similarly, people are again starting to have doubts about their future, in the era of artificial intelligence and with the recent launch of technologies such as ChatGPT. In our opinion, as education is being redefined, children growing up in this new environment need to develop the following eight essential skills. First, the ability to generate new ideas. In the era of AI, children need to be able to think creatively, and from different perspectives, to meet increasingly complex challenges. They must be able to implement new ideas. Developing an innovative idea is only the first step. It is important for children to then be able to turn the idea into reality. They must have the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. Children need to think critically and judge the truth and accuracy of information, so as to avoid being misled by false information. They should be able to synthesise information. While chatbots like ChatGPT can quickly collect and process a large amount of information, children need to be able to extract useful information from this content, synthesise it and form their own opinions. Seeing the big picture is also important. Children must learn to consider issues from a holistic perspective, so as to predict future trends and make informed decisions. Being able to envision the future will help. The emergence of AI is changing many traditional industries and careers, and children have to be able to plan for the future. Leadership skills are crucial for children to one day lead teams, achieve goals and maintain a competitive edge in their field. Finally, emotional management is necessary. With the advent of AI, and as work and life become more fast-paced and stressful, children should become adults who are capable of managing their emotions – as well as their teammates’ – and coping with stress. They must learn to support each other emotionally and build good interpersonal relationships. To summarise, the emergence of sophisticated AI chatbots presents children with both challenges and opportunities. Children have to be trained to become future talent capable of innovative thinking, sound judgment, imagination and leadership, and who are emotionally intelligent to boot. Dr Yuehai Xiao, professor, and Liqiang Qiu, student, department of English, Hunan Normal University Help kids with speech disorders I refer to your report, “Covid’s lost years: Hong Kong children bear the cost of missing school, as more are diagnosed with learning problems” ( February 27 ). The prevalence of speech disorders among these kids is troubling. I just wish to mention that stuttering is one of the most common child speech disorders and there is a website that offers great help to the parents of children who stutter. The website of the Stuttering Foundation provides many free resources and much information. With all that has been negatively affected by Covid-19, helping the children in Hong Kong and around the world who have suffered from speech issues should be a priority. Justin Chin, New York