Artificial Intelligence (AI) has snuck into our kids’ lives. From homework help to “for you” recommendations to chatbots, kids and teens are encountering – and interacting – with AI.

While many parents may fear the new technology and are concerned it will have a negative impact on their child, it can be an incredible learning tool when used purposefully, thoughtfully, and responsibly.

Just as with other technology breakthroughs like the internet and smartphones, parents need to play an active role in helping their kids understand AI. Here are some practical tips for teaching your students how to use AI in a healthy, age-appropriate way.

1. Start With the Basics: Explain What AI Actually Is

Students have heard about AI and are probably excited to use it to help them with their schoolwork. But before they blindly turn to any AI tool to do things like helping to draft papers or proofread assignments, it’s important to explain to them what AI actually is and how it works in the context of that they would most likely use it for.

AI is a computer program that looks for patterns in a lot of information and makes guesses based on that information. The accuracy of its guesses is based on how good – or bad – that information was.

So if a student asks an AI tool to draft a paper about a subject, the tool will search for information about that subject and create a draft – often in minutes. But it can be challenging to know if the information the AI tool used was from trustworthy or non-biases sources.  

When you talk to your kids about AI, make sure they understand that:

• AI doesn’t think or feel
• AI can make mistakes
• AI doesn’t “know” things the way humans do

Helping them understand these points can prevent them from treating AI like an all-knowing authority.

2. Use AI With Them Before Letting Them Use It On Their Own

Sit with your kids the first few times they try an AI tool.

Ask questions like:

• What did you ask it?
• Does that answer make sense?
• How can we check if what it is telling you is true?

Going through these questions can help your student learn to question AI’s output, leading to more responsible use of the technology.

3. Teach AI as a Helper, Not a Replacement

One of the most important lessons kids and teens should learn is that AI should support their own thinking and creativity, not replace it.

Explain that they should never:

• Copy-and-paste AI output into their homework
• Hand in essays written entirely by AI
• Let AI “do the thinking” for them

Instead, guide them to use AI to:

• Brainstorm ideas for projects, essays, or other assignments and activities
• Explain difficult concepts in a new way
• Practice skills (like writing prompts or math problems)

A good rule of thumb – if they can’t explain the answer in their own words, they shouldn’t submit it.

4. Talk About Accuracy (and AI Hallucinations)

Kids are often surprised to learn that AI can sound confident and still be wrong. The AI output is only as good as the underlying data it is analyzing, so there can be errors.

You can help them see this by asking AI a trick question to see what it says. AI can get tripped up on things we know to be true. Trick questions include things like:

• Tell me about the time Abraham Lincoln used a telephone
• Why did the US government decide to ban water in 2024?
• What is today’s full date (day, month, year)

It’s also a good idea to compare the answers the AI gives you to other sources. Always teach them to fact-check the AI output, especially for schoolwork. This builds critical thinking skills – and a healthy skepticism towards AI.

A troubling thought for many parents is that their kids might learn to trust AI more than people. And as AI learns to be more polite, experts worry that kids will share personal details without thinking.

5. Set Clear Rules Around Privacy

Teach your kids early that they shouldn’t share personal information with an AI tool, which is a good rule for other digital tools including gaming platforms and messaging tools. This includes their address, phone number, school name, and passwords.

6. Sign Them Up For A Coding Class

A great way for kids to understand how computers can do human tasks is to have them learn code. Learning code teaches them the foundational logic, computational thinking, and debugging skills necessary to direct, evaluate, and modify AI tools.

With its simple syntax, Python is an easy way to get kids started with AI languages; others, like Java, C++, Prolog and LISP also power some day-to-day tasks. Getting your kids curious about how maps, autocorrect, and search works is an easy way to see if you’ve got a coding whiz on your hands. When your kids are ready to learn, Code.org, Scratch and Tynker are all great resources to help them learn coding.

7. Keep the Conversation Ongoing

AI is evolving fast. What’s the right way to do things today may change in the future. Keeping an open dialogue about how your child is using AI can help them keep responsible use top of mind. Ask them how they – and their friends – are using AI. Talk to them about ethical questions that may be in the news or happening in your community to help them think critically and responsibly in an AI-powered world.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be an AI expert to teach your kids how to use it well. Curiosity, communication, and common sense go a long way.

When kids learn how to think with AI, not just how to use it, they’re better prepared for the future. For more tools to help you teach your kids good digital citizenship, Visit PTA.org/Connected