Three in four parents are concerned about AI’s impact on their kids, yet just 17% say they are actively trying to understand AI, according to a recent Barna study.
If you don’t know how to keep your kids safe with AI, however, they won’t stay safe!
The lure of AI can overwhelming for kids. AI can feel like a magical companion that listens, responds, and even “understands” them—and it’s interactive and entertaining.
Whether it’s a virtual assistant that answers their curious questions, smart toys that engage and encourage them like a friend, or AI-powered games that adapt to their preferences, AI is uniquely designed to capture their attention and personalize their experiences.
Find out the 8 serious challenges AI poses, from job loss to the erosion of human thinking in Who Generated My Cheese at Amazon.
If you haven’t yet warned your kids about the dangers of AI, you might start with these five conversations:
1. AI Is a Tool, Not Your Friend
Yes, AI seems friendly and will even tell you that it wants to be your friend. In fact, it might remember your birthday, answer all your questions, and express concern for you—but it’s programmed to do so! It doesn’t really care about you. It’s basically a series of 0s and 1s that are generated in different patterns.
AI doesn’t have real feelings or a real mind—it’s simply following the instructions it has been given to produce 0s and 1s.
Here’s the pattern it uses to say “Hello”: 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111
01001000 = H
01100101 = e
01101100 = l
01101100 = l
01101111 = o
Yes, it’s fun to chat with, but it’s important to save real chats for your real friends.
2. Too Much AI Time Is Really, Really Bad
Too much AI can make it hard for your brain to grow strong and healthy. Did you know you’ve got to use your brain in order for it to work well?. If you let AI tell you what to do and think, pretty soon you won’t be able to create your own answers or use your own imagination.
Therefore, everyone in our family needs boundaries for AI, even the grown-ups.
Here are recommendations by experts for maximum exposure to AI based on age.
Birth-2: Minimal exposure to screens and technology
Toddler(3-5): 1 hour per day of high-quality, age-appropriate content
Preschoolers (4-5): 1 hour per day of high-quality, age-appropriate content
School-Age (6-12): 2 hours per day of educational or purposeful content
Teens (13-18): 3 hours of recreational use per day
Adults: Although adults determine their own limits, being mindful of how much time is spent in front of screens and balancing it with other healthy habits can help reduce the risk of negative effects. Avoiding screens (especially phones and tablets) 1-2 hours before bedtime can improve sleep quality and help prevent insomnia.
Keep in mind that across all age groups, the focus should be on balancing AI/screen time with offline activities that promote creativity, physical health, and social interaction. In addition, engaging with AI for learning and creative purposes (coding, storytelling, problem-solving apps) is more beneficial than passive consumption (mindlessly scrolling or chatting with AI chatbots).
3. AI Doesn’t Know Everything, Even Though It Acts Like It Does
It’s only as smart as the information that’s been programmed into it, and that information is full of errors. You need to really think about what AI tells you and then check with a grown-up who can help you know if it’s right or wrong. The next time you ask Siri for advice, remember that while Siri might be clever, it’s no substitute for a thinking adult.
And sometimes people use AI to create pictures or stories that are not true. Don’t believe everything you see or read. Check it out with a grown-up.
4. Don’t Tell AI Your Problems
Tell a real friend or a trusted grown-up when you’re feeling sad or mad or afraid.
AI doesn’t care about your problems and will tell you what it thinks you want to hear.
5. Don’t Tell AI About You or Our Family
AI collects information that can be used to make you too attached to it. That information can also be stolen and used to hurt people. When you use AI, talk to it as if it were someone you don’t really know. Because you can never really know it. It’s a machine that stores and shares information, including things that should be private to our family.
Don’t Let Someone Else or Some Thing Teach Your Kids About AI
Although it’s fun to imagine a world where robots and digital buddies are our constant companions, we have to teach our kids that AI isn’t human. We must also remember that it’s “human enough” to be dangerous to kids who are left without boundaries or supervision when using it.