AI & Chatbots
What should my child understand before using AI?
What to know
The essentials
- A confident answer is not proof that an AI response is true.
- Private, identifying, medical, school, and family information should not be entered casually.
- Images, voices, and video can be altered or generated convincingly.
What to notice
Look for patterns, not one imperfect moment.
- 01Treating an AI answer as more trustworthy than a knowledgeable person
- 02Sharing personal information to get a more tailored response
- 03Using generated work without checking it
- 04Difficulty recognizing when a tool is agreeing rather than reasoning
AI literacy grows when an adult and child test the tool together, verify its answers, and keep human judgment in the loop.
What to do next
Begin with one manageable step.
- 1
Test one answer together and verify it with a separate reliable source.
- 2
Create a short family list of information that never belongs in a chatbot.
- 3
Use the Spot the AI and AI Inventor activities to make limitations visible.
What to say
Start curious. Stay calm.
“What should we check before believing this answer?”
“What would you never type into an AI tool?”
“How could someone use an AI image to manipulate a person?”
The full picture
More context when you need it.
The goal is not to make children afraid of AI. It is to preserve judgment, privacy, creativity, and the habit of involving a trusted human when the stakes are high.
Product settings and data policies change. Families should review the current privacy controls of any tool a child uses rather than relying on an old opt-out tutorial.
Sources and review
Where this guidance comes from
This guide was reviewed in July 2026. Links open the current source so families can see the full guidance.