‘Keep an eye on their emotional state:’ Parents encouraged to monitor how children use AI

AI is here to stay and experts advise teaching kids to use it safely and responsibly.

From everyday searches to homework help, AI is here to stay, and it’s changing the way children learn and interact.

Experts are encouraging parents and educators to teach kids how to use it safely and responsibly.

“This is what parents bring to the table because we have lived experience, we’ve been around for a number of decades. We’ve kind of got an idea of what’s right and what’s wrong, and what the rules and values are in our culture and society,” says Giles Crouch, a digital anthropologist.

“It’s really important for parents to be able to communicate these things to kids as they’re using the tools.”

While he agrees it can be a useful resource, Crouch encourages parents to set limits on AI use and monitor how children interact and respond to it.

“Keep an eye on their emotional state. Are they feeling depressed? Are they exhibiting signs of depression or frustration? Suicide, suicidal thoughts, that sort of thing,” he says. “We have no rules, we have no guidelines. We’ve never been here before. We’re all trying to figure this out for the very first time.”

Halifax resident Maddy Moloci Segovia says it’s an important conversation she has with her family.

“I have a lot of nieces and nephews, and I definitely talked to my cousins about this topic at family dinners,” she says.

“I definitely think more parents and teachers, anyone who has the power to watch over students and children who could get into AI sites easily, should have some guardrails up. We don’t know what misinformation is leading them to other sites and how dangerous it honestly could be in the end.”