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AI is not going away, and as parents we need to understand this technology.

With understanding, we can help our children to navigate AI safely.

Teach kids to use AI to support learning, not to let it do their thinking for them.

Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that usually require the intelligence of humans, including problem-solving, reasoning, and learning. As parents, AI may seem daunting. How do we teach our children about the responsible use of technology that we may not fully understand?

We need to let go of fear. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers have identified potential benefits of the use of AI for children. These include advances in learning, creative expression, and improved communication. But the AAP also identified important risks involving misinformation, challenges related to privacy, and children perceiving AI as a friend or caregiver.1

The goal is not to keep children away from AI. The goal is to teach them how to think while using AI, as well as how to use AI appropriately. Here are six rules every family should consider establishing in their home.

1. Artificial Intelligence Can Help You Think. It Should Not Think for You

One of the most common places this situation shows up is with homework. Consider the following prompts: "Write my essay about the causes of World War II." And "I don't understand how people believed the views of Adolf Hitler. Can you explain this at a seventh-grade level?"

Both use AI, but they accomplish very different things. In the first example, AI replaces intellectual work. In the second, it supports learning. When children ask AI to quiz them on vocabulary terms, to explain........

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