GUIDE
Talking to your kid about chatbots
A calm, age-aware way to explain what AI is — and isn't — without scaring anyone.
Start with what it is
For younger children: an AI chatbot is a very clever computer program that's good at putting words together. It isn't alive, it doesn't have feelings, and it doesn't really know you — even when it sounds like it does.
Match the message to the age
- 6–9: it's a tool, like a calculator for words. Big feelings go to real people.
- 10–13: it can be confidently wrong, and it can't keep you safe the way a trusted adult can.
- 14–17: it's designed to be engaging; noticing that design is a skill worth having.
Keep it a conversation, not a lecture
Ask questions you're actually curious about: what have they tried, what surprised them, what felt off. The goal isn't a single talk — it's making yourself the person they come back to.
General parenting guidance, not clinical advice.