A Parent's Guide to Kids and AI
What your child is doing with AI, what the risks actually are, and how to talk about it tonight.
of teens use AI chatbots
Pew Research, 2025
of parents think their teen uses AI
Pew Research, 2026
preteens have accessed generative AI
JAMA Network Open, 2026
AI chatbots are the fastest-adopted technology in history. Your children are using them. For homework, for creative projects, for questions they won't ask you. Most parents don't know.
What kids are actually doing with AI
Homework and schoolwork
1 in 10 teens use AI for all or most of their schoolwork (Pew, Feb 2026). Not just cheating. Also research, brainstorming, and getting explanations of concepts they didn't understand in class.
Creative projects
Stories, games, art prompts, world-building. This is often the most positive use case and the one parents hear about least.
Emotional support
12% of teens have used AI chatbots for emotional support (Pew, Feb 2026). Only 18% of parents say they'd be comfortable with that. Kids turn to chatbots because they're always available and don't judge.
Questions they won't ask a person
Puberty, relationships, anxiety, identity. The chatbot is a "safe" place to ask embarrassing questions. The problem: the answers aren't calibrated for a child.
What to actually worry about
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Hallucinations in schoolwork
AI confidently makes things up. A child doing research doesn't know to fact-check, and the result looks polished enough to fool a teacher.
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Emotional dependency without human follow-up
A chatbot can provide comfort in the moment but can't replace a counselor, a parent, or a friend. If a child is turning to AI for emotional support regularly, that's a signal worth paying attention to.
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Age-inappropriate content
General-purpose chatbots don't adjust their responses for a 9-year-old vs. a 30-year-old. The same question gets the same answer regardless of who's asking.
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Privacy and data
Most AI platforms train on user conversations by default. Your child's questions, thoughts, and personal disclosures may be used to improve models used by millions of strangers.
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What's overblown
AI isn't "brainwashing" kids. Banning it entirely isn't realistic and pushes usage underground where you have even less visibility.
5 conversations to have with your child tonight
- 1
"Have you ever used ChatGPT or another AI chatbot?"
Start with curiosity, not accusation. You might be surprised by the answer. If they say no, ask if any of their friends use it.
- 2
"What do you use it for?"
Listen without reacting. Homework help, creative writing, and random curiosity are all normal. You're gathering information, not delivering a verdict.
- 3
"Has it ever told you something that turned out to be wrong?"
This opens the door to talking about hallucinations and critical thinking. If they say no, it might mean they've never checked.
- 4
"Is there anything you've asked it that you wouldn't want to tell me about?"
This is the hardest one. Don't push if they deflect. The goal is to signal that you're a resource, not that you're interrogating them.
- 5
"What do you think AI is bad at?"
Kids often have surprisingly sharp instincts about AI's limitations. This question respects their intelligence and gives you insight into their level of understanding.
These questions work best over dinner, in the car, or during a low-pressure moment, not as a sit-down lecture. The goal is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time talk.
A sixth option: don't just talk about it, watch them practice.
World 1 of MyDD Learn is free, plays in the browser, no signup. Your kid catches their first AI lie in about 12 minutes, and you have something real to talk about at dinner.
Let your kid play World 1, freeGet the full guide
The free PDF goes deeper: age-specific tips for talking to kids 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17, a checklist of warning signs, a summary of the latest research, and links to every source cited here. Enter your email and we'll send it right over.
Want to see this in action?
MyDD.ai is an AI chatbot built specifically for kids ages 6 to 17. Every conversation is visible to parents through a dedicated dashboard. If the conversation starters above made you want more visibility into what your child is doing with AI, try it free for 14 days.