Kids and AI: A Safety Guide for Parents

Children are meeting AI in chatbots, homework tools, games and social apps. A few conversations and settings make a big difference.

• Patient explanations and homework help.
• Creative play: stories, drawing and music.
• Language practice and reading support.

• Wrong answers delivered confidently.
• Over-reliance: skipping the learning.
• Inappropriate content or chats.
• Privacy: sharing names, school, photos or location.
• Deepfakes and bullying: fake images or voices of classmates.
• Emotional attachment to chatbots that feel like friends.

1. Check age limits and terms. Many tools aren't intended for young children.
2. Use family or education settings and parental controls where they exist.
3. Sit together the first few times.
4. Set rules: no personal details, no photos of people, no secrets.
5. Teach "check it": AI can be wrong, so verify important facts.
6. Agree how AI can be used for school, in line with your child's school rules.
7. Talk about fakes: if an image or voice seems off, ask a trusted adult.
8. Keep chatting. Make it easy for them to tell you if something upsets them.

• Secretive use or distress after chats.
• Withdrawing from friends.
• Treating a chatbot as their only confidant.

Save evidence, report to the platform, tell the school if it involves classmates, and contact the authorities for serious threats or abuse.

Curiosity plus guardrails works best. Stay involved, set clear rules and keep the conversation open.