Can kids safely use AI?

It can feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up as a parent, especially where tech is concerned. Take AI for example. It's quickly become part of everyday life and within easy reach for kids. But what’s helpful about AI? What’s unsafe about it? And how do you equip kids to be smart about using it?

First things first, while tech continues to evolve at a rapid rate, what matters most for parents and caregivers is staying connected. A parent’s biggest influence is still found in their values, boundaries, relationships and regular conversations. So, while it helps to know what’s going on in the world of AI and how kids are using it, it’s even more important to help them navigate it with balance and safety in mind.

Some good things about AI

AI drives a lot of the tech that we use day to day: suggesting new music we might like, powering voice assistants and other smart devices, predicting traffic and travel time, optimising online searches and so much more.

Then there’s generative AI – tools that are in the user’s control and can create new original content. Generative AI can summarise information quickly, explain concepts in different ways and prompt new ways of thinking. It can also support creativity – from giving kids the confidence to ‘get started’, to generating new ideas for design, music or even story characters.

These can be real positives – but keep in mind, kids will still need clear boundaries and strong adult support.

AI can also support creativity – from giving kids the confidence to ‘get started’, to generating new ideas for design, music or even story characters

AI can also support creativity – from giving kids the confidence to ‘get started’, to generating new ideas for design, music or even story characters

Some risks of AI

Like all power tools, AI comes with risks, especially for young users who are still developing critical thinking skills.

AI CAN GET IT WRONG

It’s easy to over‑trust AI because the responses feel authoritative and fast, and kids simply don’t have the worldly experience to determine fact from fiction.

Parents – encourage kids to use AI for ideas and prompts rather than finished answers, and show them how to ‘sense-check’ information. Ask questions like: “Is this suggestion fair, or could it be missing something important?”, and “What would we want to double-check before we use this information?”

AI CAN HIJACK LEARNING AND CREATIVITY

Even for adults, it's tempting to let AI do too much of the thinking and shortcut learning and originality. When kids are still learning how to learn, this overreliance on AI can be particularly problematic, especially if it crosses the line into cheating or plagiarism.

Parents – remind kids that AI is a computer tool designed to look like it can think. It's great for prompting thought and breaking down complex topics, but not for producing work word for word. It can't replace the depth, creativity and judgement of the human brain so let’s not over-value or over-rely on what it can offer.