Click for simple, affordable ways to make the most of what's left of summer. But with some open communication, you can raise kids that are aware of AI’s risks and rewards. It feels like artificial intelligence is taking over every facet of life.
Adults encounter AI daily. It recommends products for us to buy, shares content we’ll like on streaming platforms, filters spam in our email accounts, and even tracks our health through our smart watches. It’s increasingly becoming a part of our kids’ daily lives, too.
They are accessing AI on smartphones, using it in school and some are even developing relationships with AI chatbots. Fearing a repeat of the consequences that came from unfettered teen access to smartphones and social media in the early 2010s, many parents are justifiably concerned about this new technological frontier. Experts are sounding alarm bells, as well.
Former Google trust and safety executive Tom Siegel recently told that AI poses a greater harm to children than social media did, highlighting risks such as suicide, psychosis, and reduced critical thinking. While banning your kids from using AI may sound appealing, it’s not feasible. Unlike social media, which is contained in standalone apps, AI is threaded into technology our kids use everyday, from search engines to video games.
That’s why it’s important for parents to focus on AI education to prepare their kids to safely interact with the technology in its many forms. Whether your kids are just starting to use AI or are already AI connoisseurs, we tapped experts to help answer some of parents’ most pressing questions about teens and AI. According to a Pew Research Center study, more than half of teens say they have used AI to search for information or get help with their schoolwork.
They’re using generative AI, which creates content from prompts, to create images, direct them to research on topics for school and even solve math problems. Teens are also increasingly interacting with chatbots, which are computer programs that are designed to simulate human conversation. You’ve probably heard of or even used some of the most popular chatbots, like ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini and Perplexity.
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