Written by: Amanda McMillen, LCSW, with support by AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s here, shaping how our children learn, play, and interact with the digital world. AI is becoming an integral part of everyday life, from AI-powered homework help to creative tools that generate music and art. While these advancements offer exciting opportunities, they also present challenges that parents should be aware of.
This guide will help you understand what AI is, how your child may use it, and how to ensure they navigate AI safely and responsibly.
What is AI?
AI refers to technology that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and generating content. Your child is likely already interacting with AI daily—whether it’s through virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, recommendation algorithms on YouTube and Netflix, or even chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok.
One powerful type of AI is Large Language Models (LLMs), which can generate text, answer questions, and assist with tasks like writing, coding, and problem-solving. While these tools can be helpful, they also come with risks if used without proper guidance.
How Might Your Child Use AI?
AI is influencing many aspects of children’s lives, including:
Education
AI-powered tools are making learning more interactive and personalized:
- Khanmigo (by Khan Academy) – An AI tutor that helps students with math, science, and writing, providing personalized feedback.
- Socratic (by Google) – Allows students to take a photo of a homework problem and get step-by-step explanations.
- Quizlet AI Tutor – Uses AI to help students study more efficiently with customized quizzes and explanations.
👉 How Kids Use It: A student struggling with algebra might ask Khanmigo for help solving an equation step by step, or they might take a picture of their history assignment in Socratic to get summaries of key concepts.
Creative Expression
AI is opening doors for young artists, writers, and musicians to explore their creativity:
- DALL·E (by OpenAI) – Generates images from text descriptions, allowing kids to create digital artwork.
- Soundraw – Helps kids compose music by selecting a mood and style, and the AI generates an original track.
- Storybird AI – Assists young writers in creating illustrated stories based on their ideas.
👉 How Kids Use It: A child might type “a futuristic city with flying cars” into DALL·E to generate a unique image, or they might use Soundraw to create background music for a school project.
Chatbots & Interaction
Some kids use AI chatbots for research, brainstorming, or even entertainment:
- ChatGPT (by OpenAI) – Can answer questions, help with writing, and generate creative ideas.
- Replika – An AI chatbot designed for conversation and emotional support.
- AI Dungeon – A text-based game where AI creates an interactive storytelling experience.
👉 How Kids Use It: A child writing a short story might ask ChatGPT for character name ideas, or they might play AI Dungeon to experience an AI-generated fantasy adventure.
What Should Parents Be Aware of & How Can They Help?
AI is a powerful tool, but it’s important to guide children in using it wisely. Here are key concerns to watch for and ways to support your child’s responsible AI use:
1. Overreliance on AI
- The concern: AI can be an easy shortcut for schoolwork, leading to a lack of deep learning. Some kids may also form emotional attachments to AI chatbots, impacting real-life social skills.
- Signs This May Be an Issue:
- Your child consistently turns to AI for homework rather than trying to solve problems themselves.
- They seem overly attached to an AI chatbot, preferring it over real-life interactions.
- How to help: Encourage your child to use AI as a learning assistant rather than a replacement for thinking. Promote offline interactions and discussions about their AI use. For example, you could ask your child, “How do you decide when to use AI for homework help versus doing it on your own?” Or you could inquire, “If AI disappeared tomorrow, how would you handle your assignment differently?”
2. Misinformation & Bias
- The concern: AI-generated responses aren’t always accurate and may provide outdated, biased, or even completely false responses. AI can “hallucinate”—meaning it makes up false information.
- Signs This May Be an Issue:
- Your child repeats incorrect facts from AI without questioning them.
- They accept AI-generated information as truth without cross-checking sources.
- How to help: Teach kids to fact-check AI-generated information using trusted sources such as educational websites, news outlets, official government or institutional sites, or peer-reviewed journals. Explain how biases in AI can affect what they see online. If AI claims something is true, check at least two or three reputable sources to confirm the information. If only unverified blogs or social media posts repeat the claim, be skeptical. If AI gives you an exact quote, book title, or study reference, search for it online. If you can’t find it, it may be fabricated.
👉 Tip: If an AI gives a statistic, exact quote, book title, study reference, or fact, do a quick search: “Is [fact] true?” and see what credible sources say.
3. Ethics & Academic Integrity
- The concern: AI-generated content raises questions about plagiarism and originality. Kids might submit AI-written essays as their own work.
- Signs This May Be an Issue:
- Their writing suddenly changes in style, fluency, or complexity.
- They complete assignments unusually fast, with little effort.
- How to help: Have conversations about academic honesty and the importance of using AI ethically, such as citing AI assistance when appropriate. You can work together to set family guidelines on when and how AI can be used for school
For example:- ✅ Allowed: Getting ideas, checking grammar, summarizing long articles.
- ❌ Not Allowed: Copying AI-generated essays, solving math problems without trying first.
4. Privacy & Security
- The concern: AI tools collect user data, and some AI chatbots may encourage kids to overshare 1) personal details, 2) financial and account information, 3) private conversations and personal problems, 4) sensitive school information, 5) location and travel plans, 6) photos or biometric data, or 7) anything that could be used to impersonate them. AI chatbots don’t “forget” what you tell them, and some store or analyze conversations. Personal info could then be misused or exposed in data breaches.
- Signs This May Be an Issue:
- Your child shares personal details with AI chatbots or online platforms without hesitation.
- They don’t understand the risks of online privacy or how data is collected.
- How to help: Set privacy settings appropriately, educate your child about not sharing personal information with AI, and monitor which tools they use.
✅ Teach kids the “Would I tell a stranger?” rule—if they wouldn’t share it with a random person, they shouldn’t share it with AI.
✅ Encourage them to think before they type and use AI as a tool, not a diary.
✅ Remind them that AI can store conversations—even when it says it “forgets” or “doesn’t save data.”
5. Deepfakes & Online Scams
- The concern: AI-generated scams, fake videos, and deepfake content are becoming more convincing. Deepfake technology works by analyzing large amounts of real video or audio of a person and generating fake but realistic content that mimics them in new ways.
- Signs This May Be an Issue:
- Your child shares or believes in fake AI-generated videos, images, or messages of a celebrity, family member, or friend.
- They struggle to identify credible sources online.
- How to help: Teach kids to recognize suspicious content, question sources, and verify online information before believing or sharing it.
- 👀 Unnatural blinking or facial movements – The person may blink less often or their expressions may seem stiff.
- 🎙 Lip-sync issues – The words don’t perfectly match the lip movements.
- ✨ Weird lighting or shadows – The face may look too smooth, or shadows might not align naturally.
- 🔄 Glitchy details – Earrings, glasses, or background details may flicker or disappear.
- 🔊 Odd voice distortions – AI-generated voices may sound slightly robotic or off in tone.
👉 Tip: Always double-check viral videos before believing or sharing them. Fact-check with trusted news sources!