Guidance for Parents as Children Grow Up Surrounded by AI

Generative artificial intelligence is now embedded in the everyday environments children move through: search results, social media feeds, video games, education technology, and even toys. According to figures cited by Brookings, 91 percent of children aged 13-17 in the United States use generative AI in their personal lives, and 72 percent have used AI companions. Much of this use happens outside of school, which places parents and caregivers in a central role.

Brookings reports that many parents feel unprepared. Those interviewed for its study, A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect, described how little support they receive, and expressed a wish to both protect and prepare their children while seeking clear, practical guidance.

In response, Brookings has produced a series of tip sheets for parents of children aged 10-14, organised around ten core skills that children need to become resilient learners. The skills addressed include:

• Critical thinking and reasoning
• Social skills and human interaction
• Active engagement, curiosity, and autonomy
• Persistence through challenges and focus
• Creativity, safety, trust, and human judgment

Each tip sheet offers short explanations of AI and its effects, notes what parents might observe at home and at school, and suggests conversation starters and activities for families. The researchers note that while AI can support learning, it can also place children's development, safety, and autonomy at risk, and that some of the skills most at risk are those AI can quietly undermine.

This development was originally reported by the Brookings Institution.