What parents need to know about AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is here – for better or worse – and it’s rapidly changing the way that we, and our kids, navigate the online world and interact with different technologies, apps and platforms. The pace at which AI content has developed in sophistication and believability is mind-blowing. It’s both exciting and terrifying.

While many of our kids will already be regularly interacting with AI, and most likely very confidently, what they may not be so proficient in is assessing risk, thinking critically or even using these technologies in a healthy way. As adults who’ve had a little more real-life experience, it’s our job to guide and prepare our young people for an online future where bots do some of the thinking work for us (but not all of it, hopefully!).

AI is a huge topic so let’s begin with the basics of ‘generative’ AI.

Generative AI refers to apps and tools like ChatGPT, Gemini AI, Midjourney and Sora that allow the user to generate unique text, images, videos and even back-and-forth conversations, based on patterns that the models learn from processing mountains of data online. Generative AI technologies are readily-available and often free - meaning anyone can create AI content with minimal effort. Some schools across Aotearoa are already encouraging students to use text-generation AI tools to spark ideas for creative storytelling and to assist with writing and learning needs. Tools like Gemini AI are also widely used as conversational companions (yep, like AI therapists) and 'study buddies'.

Being able to easily create (fairly convincing) AI content is novel and understandably a tempting proposition for our curious kids. While these tools can be incredibly fun and arguably useful, it's important to be aware of some of the red flags:

AI text tools can make mistakes or learn from biased data, which can affect the results they give. And increasingly, people are using AI to create images, videos and messages that look so believable it’s hard to tell the difference. TikTok (ostensibly) has become inundated with AI video content!

Keep a close eye on what your kids are interacting with and make sure they’re aware of the very real potential for fakes, as well as bias, misleading or harmful content. Encourage them to spot fakes, fact-check, verify with an adult if they’re uncertain and also to be upfront about what they themselves are creating with AI (writing school essays with AI, for example). Have a chat with your child about plagiarism and how passing AI-generated content off as your own work can be seen as cheating. Real-life creativity will always trump AI so this is also the perfect moment to remind your kids of the brilliance of their own brain power!

Our kids are great observers but can be poor interpreters, so be available for some adult sense-checking and make a point of gently enquiring about their online lives - frequently and without judgement. Encourage plenty of healthy skepticism, critical thinking and source checking like we did in the good ol' pre-internet days. Share your thoughts on the ethical use of technology (every family will have a slightly different take on this) and encourage them to lean into their own good judgement and instincts.

While AI can look friendly and helpful, we need to remember that its driving force is not (sadly) the safety and wellbeing of our kids. That might sound quite cynical, but some balanced cynicism may be key to our kids’ protection.

For example, AI is the driving force behind recommendation algorithms. Those suggestions of ‘other things you might like’ can seem thoughtful and handy, but they’re there to keep you on the platform longer. The more we watch, the more advertising we’re exposed to, the more money platforms make. It’s important our kids are aware of how recommendation algorithms work, and that they know they could be being led down a rabbit hole. Often, we’re recommended ‘clickbait’ types of strange or shocking content, because AI knows that stuff is compelling to us. Then - hey presto - we’re in a misinformation minefield or an inappropriate no-go zone.

Speaking of ‘here to help’ AI, remind your kids that chatbots are robots not friends. Chatbots are designed to chat and they’re good at it. Because AI is getting so clever at imitating humans, chatbots can sound sweet and empathetic, tempting kids to ‘overshare’. Sensitive data can easily be collected and stored by chatbots, it can then be used for marketing (money making) or hacked and used maliciously. Again, real-life relationships trump anything AI can conjure up. So, encourage your kids to keep it brief with the bots and save genuine heart-to-hearts for trusted humans, ideally face-to-face.

Improvements in AI are blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and putting the power of image creation and distribution in the hands of almost everyone, including, unfortuntely, the small minority who choose to abuse it. For our digital-savvy kids, there’s the risk of bumping into AI stuff that’s inappropriate, offensive or explicit in nature. And for our teens whose pre-frontal cortexes are still under construction, there may be the temptation to create rude or silly images or videos that ultimately land them in trouble.

Speaking of dodgy AI-generated content, we need to talk about deepfakes - videos using digital software and face-swapping. These are alarmingly simple to create – free apps and websites to guide you in deepfake creation are just a mouse click away. In a matter of seconds, one person’s face can be imposed onto another person’s body, opening up massive cans of worms and potential for a whole new mess of misleading mayhem. And, really disturbingly, facial image sharing is easily exploited by the porn industry. As we support our kids to safely navigate the online world, conversations about the dangers of sharing intimate images online are essential, as are chats about why we should never share photos of faces – friends' or our own – anywhere dodgy.

Talk to your kids about the potential consequences of dodgy digital content creation, both in the short and long-term, and help them be prepared to make smart decisions when you’re around and when you’re not around – and when they eventually have full autonomy over their online activity.

LEARN TOGETHER

Usually, us parents are behind our kids when it comes to adopting new technologies, but a FOSI study done in Japan, the USA and Germany showed teens and their parents have developed habits around AI at pretty much the same rate as their young people. If you haven’t yet experimented with generative AI, take the time to try out some of the popular tools, and even better, learn alongside your child. Encourage your child to question and verify the information they receive from AI to help them strengthen those all important muscles of critical thinking and internal judgement. This is a valuable life skill for the physical world as well as the online world.

SET BOUNDARIES

It’s up to us parents to decide what we’re comfortable with and set the limits clearly. Who gets to authorise downloads and set passwords, and where are devices allowed in your home? It might be that you create an agreement or contract as a household on three AI tools that you’re comfortable with and a list of others that you’re not. Check in with your school to make sure you’re au fait with the AI tools that are being used in the classroom as well.

SHARE WITH CARE

When your kids use online services or apps, their data is often collected to make the AI work better. Check the privacy settings, read terms of service and choose apps that respect your family's privacy. Ensure your kids know the potential risks associated with sharing personal information, especially their beautiful faces, online. Every family has different comfort levels when it comes to sharing stuff on the internet, so be upfront with your kids (lots of small conversations are great) around your expectations of what’s okay in your household, and what’s not.

MODEL HEALTHY TECH USE

It’s up to us parents to model healthy and responsible technology use and show our kids how to use generative AI tools in a positive and ethical manner. Are we spending too much time on YouTube laughing at fake Elon Musk AI videos? Or are we just digitally distracted? Our kids will naturally emulate what we do, so take stock of how you’re using technology at home and put some healthier habits in place if you need to.

Finally, a reminder: while technology continues to race ahead, we still get to decide what’s best for our kids. The very best thing we can do is to stay connected, human-to-human and within arms’ reach, offering support and a solid sounding board as they navigate the inevitable ups and downs of this new digital terrain.