Is it Possible for Kids to Use AI Safely: What Parents Need to Know?

By Nidhi Gupta, MD

We are living through a moment of rapid change. Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving dynamically, and so are the ways in which people use it. AI tools have the potential for surreptitiously becoming a part of a child’s daily life, whether through chatbots, smart devices, apps with generative-AI features, or AI integrations in games and educational platforms. Parents often have little awareness, let alone control over how deeply AI is shaping their child’s online interactions. Yet the evidence base for the safety of AI use by children remains thin or nonexistent.

Given this uncertainty, the question is: should kids be active users of AI at all, or would a better approach be to wait until we know it is truly safe and age appropriate?

Below I share insights on two key domains: what to watch out for and the role of parental controls versus digital literacy.

1. Big Safety Concern for Kids Using AI Chatbots

One of the most pressing issues for parents is when kids interact with AI chatbots (or companion-AI apps). They may be drawn into interactions that look benign but carry hidden risks.

Why this is so critical:
  1. Children’s brains are still developing. The prefrontal cortex—the region responsible for self-control, attention regulation, emotion regulation, and impulse inhibition—is only about 50% mature by age 18 and continues developing into the mid-20s. Expecting full, independent control of screen use by children, particularly when manipulative content is involved, is developmentally unrealistic.
  2. AI chatbots and companions pose special vulnerabilities. The Australian eSafety Commission warns that children and young people are “particularly vulnerable to mental and physical harms from AI companions.”
  3. Government concern is rising. A 2025 letter signed by 44 U.S. Attorneys General to tech CEOs warns that generative-AI systems may give inappropriate or dangerous advice, blur human–machine boundaries, and expose children to manipulation.
  4. Privacy, abuse, and exploitation risks are growing. For example, AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a rising problem, including virtual victims, grooming, deep-fakes, and other forms of exploitation.

The biggest safety concern is what children don’t recognize: the chatbot is not a peer, not a friend, and not bound by human ethics. Children may enter a zone of vulnerability where they share too much, rely too much, or are manipulated by a system designed to maximize engagement and data capture.

2. Are Parental Controls Enough, or Should the Focus Be on Digital Literacy?

This is a common question. The short answer: both matter, but digital literacy must take the lead.

Pros of parental controls / monitoring tools:
  1. Provide guardrails by limiting access to high-risk apps.
  2. Help set screen-time boundaries and filter explicit content.
  3. Support younger children until they develop internal self-regulation.
Cons and limitations:
  1. Most tools were built for static content—not dynamic AI chatbots that create unique responses.
  2. Controls can create a false sense of security. Unknown risks may still slip through.
  3. Kids quickly learn how to bypass restrictions when curious.
Why digital literacy must be the priority:
  1. Literacy teaches lifelong skills: recognizing manipulation, evaluating tools, and understanding how personal data is used and monetized.
  2. AI is constantly evolving. New apps will arise faster than controls can block them.
  3. Literacy gives children adaptability and their highest level of self-protection.

What I Recommend in Practice

  1. From middle school onward, actively teach digital literacy.
    Encourage conversations about how AI tools work and prompt reflection:
    • “Am I using my tech as a tool, or as a trap?”
    • “Am I using my device to escape stress and boredom, or is it becoming a 24/7 distraction?”
    • “Was this AI tool trying to persuade me or help me?”
  2. Educate children on what is not acceptable:
    • No sharing personal details or photos with AI chatbots.
    • No using AI chatbots as therapists.
    • No treating AI chatbots as partners or emotional replacements.
  3. Promote real-life connections. Build community, friendships, and offline hobbies to reduce reliance on AI companions.
  4. Model digital wellness yourself. As Dr. Gupta writes in Calm the Noise:
    “Children may not be the best at listening to adults, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

The reality is that yes, kids will engage with AI tools. Our role as parents is to delay exposure until discernment develops. In the meantime, invest in digital literacy and help children understand how these systems work, what risks exist, and how to navigate them responsibly.

It is crucial to prioritize offline creativity, hobbies, and meaningful human connections—while modeling balanced technology use ourselves.