Using AI with Children – What Should Parents Keep in Mind?
AI offers many opportunities for learning and creativity, but it also brings new risks. Instead of banning it, it’s worth exploring AI together and using it thoughtfully. In this article, you’ll find suggestions for age-appropriate activities, practical guidelines for everyday family life, tips on data protection and fake news, as well as ideas for creative learning and play.
Subject Matter Experts: Pia Schulze Zumkley and Katrin Drescher, Parent & Child Consultants.
Read more in this article:
- Explained Simply: What Is AI?
- Why is media literacy important in the age of AI?
- What is the role of parents?
- How can children be introduced to AI in an age-appropriate way?
- 6 Tips: Using AI Wisely in the Family
- How can parents identify and mitigate risks?
- Protection of Children and Youth
- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Children
Explained Simply: What Is AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a collection of programs and algorithms that can learn from data and perform tasks that were once only done by humans. AI can write text, generate images, answer questions, or make suggestions—but it has no consciousness of its own, no feelings, and does not know “what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’”
Important: AI makes predictions based on patterns in data; it can make mistakes, reflect biases, or invent information (so-called "hallucinations").Put simply: "AI is a very smart tool that can help answer many questions, but it isn't always right."
A study by the British consumer protection organization Which? shows that none of the popular AI chatbots consistently provide reliable answers. The top performer was Perplexity, with 72% correct answers, closely followed by Google (70%), Gemini (68%), Microsoft Copilot (67%), and ChatGPT (65%). Meta AI lagged significantly behind (54%). Stiftung Warentest also advises: Anyone seeking advice from AI should always critically evaluate the answers!
Why is media literacy important in the age of AI?
Artificial intelligence has been around for a very long time, but thanks to chatbots like ChatGPT, AI has found its way into our personal lives in a quick and accessible way in recent years. For many of us, AI has become a constant companion. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly important to engage with it and expand our media literacy.
For this reason, bans or attempts to keep children away from AI make little sense. It is better to introduce children to AI at an early age and explain to them, in age-appropriate terms, what AI can and cannot do.
AI is now childcare centers not only for administrative tasks but also in educational activities at childcare centers . Read“Why AI childcare center in childcare center here.
“Think of AI as a tool, not a threat. Take advantage of the opportunities it offers while building the skills needed to minimize the risks.” Pia Schulze Zumkley, Parent & Child Consultant
What is the role of parents?
Parents serve as role models and should critically examine their own use of AI. It is also the parents’ responsibility to work with their children to establish clear rules about when, for what purposes, and to what extent AI is used—and to review these rules regularly.
“When rules are no longer followed, it suggests that they are no longer age-appropriate.” Katrin Drescher, Parent & Child Consultant
Parents should also accept that children sometimes know better. That way, you can let your children explain things to you and show you how they work.
Looking for tips on how to stay safe online? Read our article “Cyberbullying: How Parents Can Protect Their Children.”
How can children be introduced to AI in an age-appropriate way?
Try out AI together with your child, and test new tools and apps. Be curious and explore AI—its benefits, risks, and limitations.
- Give the AI tasks without thinking twice.
- Talk to the AI as if it were a person.
- Ask questions, such as “Who are you?” or “What can you do?”
Discuss the results with your child to encourage critical thinking:
- How did the AI arrive at that answer?
- What happens if I ask the same question again later or ask a different AI model?
- Will I get the same answers?
Explain to children that AI can also be used to create fake content. You can use simple experiments to help them practice recognizing fake content, such as text, images, and videos. Tip: Ask the AI questions about their interests (e.g., hobbies, sports). This will make it easier for them to see how accurate the results are and where the AI has its limitations.
In our "AI and Learning" event series, we team up with our experts and top speakers to provide practical answers and valuable insights into the use of AI—both at work and in everyday life!
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Exploring AI with Kids: Tips for Every Age Group
For children up to age 5, the goal is to spark curiosity and provide safe initial experiences under adult supervision. Playful, low-tech interactions are ideal for this purpose, such as simple voice assistants for singing songs that provide explanations in short, descriptive sentences (“This is a computer that helps you sing”).
For elementary school children, the goal is to build a basic understanding and encourage them to ask their first critical questions. Simple experiments such as the following are ideal for this:
- Compare AI-generated images with real photos
- Have texts rewritten and compare them with the original
For older children and teenagers (ages 11 and up), the focus is more on delving deeper, verifying sources, and raising awareness of ethical issues.
- Work together to analyze why different AI models provide different answers.
- Discuss data protection, deepfakes, and accountability.
- Encourage young people to create their own prompts and explore the limits of AI.
Are you wondering how much screen time is healthy for your child? Read our article “Media and Children: Tips for Avoiding Excessive Use”
Try out an AI application together, discuss the results, and establish a simple rule (e.g., 20 minutes per session and no personal data). This will help you build confidence step by step.
6 Tips: Using AI Wisely in the Family
Answers to Children's Questions
AI can help answer children’s questions in a way that’s easy for them to understand—simply by using the prompt “Explain this to me the way you would explain it to a five-year-old.”
Learning aids
AI can help explain complex topics, create study plans or practice exams, assist with vocabulary practice, and present learning material in a fun and engaging way.
Planning trips or vacations
With the help of AI, you can, for example, plan a city trip that takes into account the preferences of every family member.
Planning Your Daily Routine
AI helps with daily and weekly schedules, meal plans that take into account the preferences of all family members, shopping lists, and even the division of household chores.
Creative Activities with Children
AI can provide craft and game ideas as well as personalized bedtime stories.
Event Planning
AI can be a valuable tool when planning children's birthday parties or family gatherings. For example, it can create a plan for a themed party that includes decoration ideas, a schedule, games, and appropriate food.
How can parents identify and mitigate risks?
When children use AI, it can sometimes lead to undesirable outcomes, such as when they rely solely on AI for schoolwork or consume questionable content. Here’s what can help:
- Set guidelines on where AI can provide support and what your child needs to work on independently (school, free time, projects).
- Talk to your child about why certain content can be problematic.
- Regularly point out that AI results must be scrutinized.
What should be kept in mind regarding data protection?
The responsible use of AI also requires an awareness of data protection:
- Do not enter sensitive information such as your address, full name, or school in chats
- Do not enter any information about other people (friends or acquaintances)
- Do not upload your own photos or pictures of friends or acquaintances
The basic rule is: “Don’t tell AI anything you wouldn’t tell a stranger.”
AI Checklist for Families
- Clarify the purpose: What will the AI be used for (learning support, creativity, organization)?
- Check your sources: Where does the information come from? Do the facts match those from a reliable source?
- Protect your personal information: Do not enter sensitive information in chats.
- Question the result: Does the answer sound plausible? Would another source say the same thing?
- Use it creatively, don't copy: Use AI as a source of inspiration; your own work remains important (especially in school).
- Set a time limit and agree on times to be offline.
- Review content: If content appears disturbing, sexualized, or requires payment, review it together immediately and stop using it if necessary.
- Adjust the rules: Review them together at least once a year to see if they still work.
- Communicate with trust: Bans lead to secret use. It’s better to keep the lines of communication open
Protection of Children and Youth
The protection of children and young people in the digital space is governed by numerous regulations at the European and national levels, in particular the Digital Services Act (DSA) and supplementary national laws such as the Youth Protection Act and the State Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media.
Report by the Expert Commission on the Protection of Children and Youth in the Digital World
The Expert Commission on "Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World"has analyzed key aspects of child and youth protection in the digital world as part of a comprehensive review. Based on these findings, the commission is developing specific recommendations for action, which will be presented at the end of June 2026.
The opportunities and risks of digital environments are closely intertwined. The risks include:
- Cyberbullying, hate speech, cost traps (risks associated with interaction)
- Sexual violence
- Manipulative platform mechanics that encourage excessive use and data sharing
- Deepfakes, disinformation, or simulated interaction
At the same time, digital spaces and new technologies offer significant opportunities—for example, in terms of social participation, identity development, and personalized learning.
With regard to media education, the assessment reveals not only great diversity but also significant structural shortcomings. For instance, programs are not available nationwide, are often not mandatory, and vary in quality. Early childhood, in particular, is given insufficient attention. The Commission emphasizes that media literacy plays a key role and must be systematically strengthened.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Children
What is AI—and how do I explain it in a way that kids can understand?
AI is a set of programs that learns from data. Explained in a way kids can understand: “AI is a very smart tool that helps us, but it isn’t always right.”
Why shouldn't parents just ban AI?
Bans hinder learning opportunities; it is better to provide guidance, age-appropriate instruction, and clear rules.
At what age can my child start interacting with AI—and how?
Up to age 5: playful and low-tech (e.g., simple language games); elementary school: initial experiments and comparisons; from around age 11: more in-depth work (source analysis, ethics, prompts).
What rules can families agree on when it comes to AI?
Define your purpose, set time limits, do not enter sensitive data, review the results, use AI for inspiration, do not copy, and adjust the rules regularly.
How can I spot false or misleading AI responses (hallucinations)?
Verify sources, repeat the same question for other models, and check for plausibility using facts or consulting experts.
What do I need to keep in mind regarding data protection?
Do not include any personal information (full name, address, school, photos of children or others) in chats or uploads; “Don’t tell the AI anything you wouldn’t tell a stranger.”
What practical exercises are effective for improving media literacy?
Work together to create AI challenges and compare answers (e.g., rephrased text vs. original, AI-generated image vs. photo), develop prompts, conduct fake content tests, and do a short family activity (e.g., 20 minutes, no personal information).
