Understanding AI for Families Guide
In an increasingly artificial intelligence-driven world, empowering children with the skills to use artifical intelligence (AI) safely, responsibly and ethically is crucial.
This toolkit provides families with practical guidance and conversation starters to navigate the evolving landscape of AI together. The purpose of this toolkit is to:
- Support families in having honest, curiosity-driven conversations about AI
- Offer activities and ideas that introduce AI concepts in an age-appropriate way
- Encourage safe, responsible and ethical use of AI among young learners.
Why AI Matters for Your Child
Artificial intelligence is part of everyday life—from YouTube recommendations to virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. In the past few years, use of AI chatbots has surged, especially among young people. Many students now turn to tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini for everything from entertainment to helping with schoolwork.
In 2025, Australia became one of the first countries in the world to restrict social media access for children under 16. However, many young people continue to access social media despite the ban. Further, young people continue to encounter AI-driven technology through gaming, streaming and education platforms. For some teens, chatbots are increasingly used for social and emotional interactions, including seeking advice, friendship, and even simulated relationships. As this use grows and the technology continues to advance, it’s more important than ever for families to understand how AI tools work and how to help young people use them safely and responsibly.
What is AI Literacy and Why Does it Matter?
AI literacy is becoming a core skill—just like reading or writing. It’s not just about knowing how to use AI tools, but understanding how they work, where they can go wrong, and how they shape the world around us. It also encourages ethical reflection, prompting young people to think about data privacy, intellectual property, and how automation affects jobs, creativity, and fairness.
It helps young people:
- Think critically about AI-generated content
- Spot errors or bias
- Understand issues like data privacy.
With support from their families and teachers, young people are better equipped to make informed decisions about how they use AI in their learning and daily lives.
How To Use This Guide
- Watch CSIRO’s AI Explained: It’s Maths, Not Magic video.
- Read through our ‘An AI Primer For Families’ to learn more about AI and why it’s important to talk with your child about this technology.
- Try the activities or conversation prompts.
- Plan for tech use as a family with a Family Tech Plan.
An AI Primer for Parents and Carers
First up, watch CSIRO’s AI Explained: It’s Maths, Not Magic video.
Use the + to expand the sections below.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that usually require human thinking, like answering questions, recognising images, or making suggestions. Many tools your child may already use, such as voice assistants or content recommendations, rely on AI.
AI comes in many forms:
- Rule-based automation, like spam filters
- Machine learning, which powers things like personal recommendations
- Generative AI, which creates text, images, music and more.
These systems learn by identifying patterns in large amounts of data. They can support creativity, problem-solving, and planning. But AI has limits. AI can make mistakes, reflect biases, or even “hallucinate” false information.
As AI rapidly changes how we work and learn, it’s important for families to understand what it is, how it works, and how to use it thoughtfully.
You have probably heard lots of terms associated with “AI” as a field. These terms are related, but not interchangeable.
“AI” is often used as an umbrella term for software, tools, commercial applications and research related to artificial intelligence.
Generative AI is a subset of AI. While AI covers a wide range of technologies, generative AI specifically refers to systems that can create new content like text, images, or music based on patterns in data.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that involves programming machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include recognising speech, making decisions, understanding language, and identifying images.
Generative AI (GenAI)
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content (e.g. text, images, music, or code) based on the data it has been trained on. It doesn’t just analyse information; it produces something new that didn’t exist before.
Different GenAI models produce different kinds of content. For example:
How AI Works
At its core, AI is about recognising patterns. It learns from vast amounts of data (like text, images, videos, or numbers) and uses that knowledge to make predictions or generate content. For example, if an AI sees thousands of photos of animals, it can learn to identify a cat versus a dog based on repeated patterns.
The basic process looks like this:
First, data is collected (e.g. writing samples, photos, or recorded speech). Then, an algorithm (a set of instructions) learns from that data by identifying patterns and relationships. Finally, the AI uses what it has learned to make predictions, suggestions, or decisions. This could be anything from recommending a new song to finishing a sentence in a chatbot.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT (text) or DALL-E (images) go a step further: instead of just recognising or sorting information, they create new content. These tools are trained on enormous datasets from the internet and can generate media such as writing, images, code, or music based on what they’ve seen. But because they don’t “understand” content the way humans do, they sometimes get things wrong or mix up facts, so it’s important to use them with care and critical thinking.
Chatbots
Some of the most popular AI tools (and probably what you are most familiar with) are ChatBots.
Open AI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Deepseek’s Deepseek AI are computer programs that were originally designed to use AI to generate text and mimic conversation, as a result are called Chatbots.
Chatbots use a large language model (LLM) to generate human-like, conversational dialogue.
The algorithm behind an LLM acts a bit like a brain. It learns patterns in how words (or how computers break down characters, i.e. tokens) relate to each other in its training data (dataset). Using this information, it predicts what’s most likely to come next in a sentence, generating responses based on the most probable associations.
Everyday AI Examples
Many students are already using AI in their daily lives, often without realising it. From voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, to spellcheckers, chatbots on websites, and personalised content on YouTube or Spotify, AI is quietly shaping how they search, learn, and interact with technology.
Recognising that AI is integral to these everyday tools can help children understand that AI isn’t just futuristic, it’s already part of their world.
AI isn’t just used in apps and gadgets, it’s also playing a role in big decisions that affect families. AI may be used by banks to help assess mortgage applications, insurance companies to set premiums and employers to sort through job applications and more. AI also powers tools that analyse massive datasets in areas like healthcare, education, and policing.
Knowing how AI is being applied helps families understand its real-world impact and why it’s important to ask questions about fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Strengths and Limitations of AI
AI’s strengths include speed, the ability to analyse large amounts of data, support for creativity, and personalised responses.
Generative AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. It has limits:
- AI models are just making predictions. All forms of AI, including LLMs, are ultimately just guessing at what you want.
- An AI model will always make a prediction. When predictions are wrong, these are called hallucinations.
- AI models do not always give the same answer. Each time you ask for the same information, you will be given a variation of the most likely answer.
- Foundation models have been trained on data that may not be up to date, may not be representative, and may reinforce biases or stereotypes.
Parents and Carers can access Day of AI Australia’s learning materials (which are designed for teachers to deliver as lessons in their classrooms) by subscribing to Day of AI Australia.
Downloadable PDF versions of lesson plans and slides are provided.
Images:
ACARA AI Curriculum Connector
Day of AI Australia materials
AI and the Future of Work
Artifical intelligence is no longer the future; it’s already changing how we work, learn, and live. From healthcare and education to finance and tourism, AI is becoming a tool used across nearly every industry. But while technology is moving fast, many young people still don’t understand how AI works or why it matters for their future.
Dr Claire Naughtin, who leads the Digital Futures team at CSIRO’s Data61, summarised it well:
That’s why helping your child build AI literacy and future-ready skills now is so important. Here’s what’s happening in the workforce and how you can support your child to prepare.
AI is Already Part of Everyday Jobs
AI isn’t just about coding or robots. It’s being built into the everyday tools that workers already use—often to make work faster, smarter, or more personalised.
Here are some real-world examples:
- Teachers use AI to tailor lesson plans.
- Doctors use it to triage patients.
- Managers use it to plan schedules or forecast demand.
- Lawyers use AI to draft contracts.
- Journalists and video editors use it to generate drafts and content.
- Finance teams use it for portfolio analysis and risk predictions.
But alongside these benefits, researchers like The Social Policy Group are warning about a “cascade of displacement”, where some jobs may disappear if Australia doesn’t plan ahead to help people re-skill.
New Jobs Are Emerging
AI isn’t just augmenting and eliminating existing jobs, it’s creating completely new ones too. According to
Jobs and Skills Australia, more than 35 new roles are emerging in growth areas like health, technology, energy, and science.
Some of these new job titles include:
- AI Engineer
- Prompt Engineer
- Digital Health Advisor
- Cybersecurity Design Specialist
- Carbon Data Analyst.
These careers often combine tech with other fields, which means your child doesn’t need to be a coder to thrive in an AI-powered world.
AI is Impacting Unexpected Industries
- Tourism: Journey Beyond uses AI to improve bookings and personalise guest experiences.
- Petcare: Petbarn launched ‘PetAI’ to give tailored advice to pet owners.
- Policing: The Australian Federal Police are exploring how AI can help protect officers’ mental health by reducing exposure to graphic material.
Australia Needs a Major AI Skills Boost
- Australia needs to grow its AI workforce by 500% to meet demand by 2030.
- The federal government aims to reach 1.2 million tech workers by 2030, but some forecasts suggest this may need to be higher.
- AI could contribute $18.8 billion per year to Australia’s economy by 2035—if the right infrastructure and training are in place.
It's Not All About Tech. Human Skills Still Matter.
Even in AI-related jobs, employers are looking for people who can:
- Communicate clearly
- Think critically
- Solve problems creatively
- Work well in teams
- Make ethical decisions.
In fact, communication and collaboration are more in demand than many technical skills like coding or machine learning. Helping your child build these “human” skills now will prepare them to work with AI, not be replaced by it.
How You Can Help Your Child Prepare
As AI becomes more integrated into workplaces, helping your child build confidence, creativity and adaptability is just as important as understanding the technology itself. You don’t need to be an expert in AI to help your child prepare for the future. Focus on building curiosity, resilience, and problem-solving, these skills are useful in any career.
Suggestions:
- Support passion projects (writing, coding, multimedia art).
- Encourage online learning, interest groups or clubs around STEM and AI.
- Talk about resilience and adaptability in a technology-rich future.
- Explore real-world problems together and ask how technology (AI included) might help solve them.
How to Talk to Children and Young People about AI
As AI tools become part of everyday life for children and young people, it’s important for parents to create a space where kids feel comfortable talking about how they’re using these technologies. Instead of leading with judgement or fear, parents can support their child’s learning by encouraging open, honest conversations. You can also check out our Conversation Starters for some suggested questions!
Here are some practical tips to foster open, honest dialogue:
✔️Start with Curiosity, Not Criticism
Ask open-ended questions like “What kinds of tools have you used?” or “What do you think this AI is good at or not so good at?”
Avoid framing questions around wrongdoing (e.g., “Are you using this to cheat?”). Instead, try “How do you use it to help with your schoolwork?”
✔️Acknowledge Using AI as Normal and Useful
Let them know it’s okay to explore AI, just like any other new technology.
Say things like “Lots of people are learning how to use these tools. It’s important to understand how they work.”
✔️Share, Don’t Lecture
Share your own experiences or learning: “I tried using ChatGPT to help with my emails and it was surprisingly helpful.”
This invites conversation rather than a power dynamic.
✔️Create Regular Check-ins
Make AI part of regular tech chats, like asking “Seen anything weird or confusing with AI lately?”
Use everyday moments (e.g., after homework) to gently check in.
✔️Set Expectations Together
Instead of rules handed down, ask “What do you think are good ways and not-so-good ways to use AI for school?”
Collaboratively develop boundaries around when and how to use it. See our Family Tech Plan information for some tips and templates!
✔️Model Critical Thinking
Talk through examples together: “This answer looks confident, but do you think it’s actually right?”
Show it’s okay to question or double-check AI outputs.
✔️Talk About Safety as a Priority
Let them know it’s safe to talk to you about anything inappropriate or concerning they come across.
Say “If you ever see something that feels off or uncomfortable, you can always come to me—no judgment.”
✔️Praise Honesty and Thoughtfulness
When they do share how they use AI or raise questions, respond with encouragement: “Thanks for being honest—that’s really thoughtful of you.”
Best Practices for Ethical and Productive AI Use
As AI tools become more common in school, social life, and play, it’s important to guide children in using them in ways that are safe, ethical, and productive. You don’t need to be a tech expert, just curious and supportive. Below are some simple tips to help your child build healthy habits when using AI tools.
Using AI as a Learning Tool
AI can be a great support for learning and creativity when used the right way.
Encourage your child to:
- Use AI to brainstorm ideas, explore questions, or draft early versions of work (depending on your school’s AI policy).
- Get creative! Some AI tools can help make music, generate art, or write stories.
- Always check AI outputs. Ask, “What might be missing?” or “Does this sound accurate?”
Remind them: AI is a tool, not a shortcut. It shouldn’t be used to write full essays or do their thinking for them.
Avoiding Academic Shortcuts
It can be tempting to copy and paste AI-generated answers, but this can lead to plagiarism or missed learning opportunities.
Help your child understand:
- Copying AI output without editing or citing it may break school rules. It also means that they are not learning.
- It’s better to learn from AI, not rely on it to do the work.
- Encourage reflection: “What did you learn?” or “How would you improve this?”
- Emphasise the importance of checking what AI provides. “Is this accurate” and “How can I check this information?”
- Am I adhering to my school’s AI policy?
Understanding Privacy and Data Use
AI tools often collect information from users. Learning about privacy is a key digital skill and is vital for both adults and young people.
Tips for families:
- Read the privacy settings or policies of AI tools together.
- Who owns this AI tool? And what is their objective with this product?
- Choose trusted tools (what does your school recommend?)
- Ensure that your child understands they should never share personal details (like full names, locations, school, email address or photos).
- Model good habits by being thoughtful about your own data-sharing.
Questions Parents (and Kids) Should Ask
Understanding how AI works starts with asking thoughtful questions.
Encourage your child to think about:
- What kind of data does this tool collect and how is it used?
- Who made this AI tool, and what are they trying to achieve?
- Is my information stored or shared? Have I given consent?
- Can I adjust the AI tools data control settings or opt-out of sharing my data including prompts etc to help the model learn?
These questions help children build awareness and take control of their digital choices.
Balancing Exploration with Support
Children learn by experimenting and AI is not an exception. Give them space to explore, but be available to talk and guide them.
Tips:
- Let them try things out, but keep the conversation open: “Show me how that works!”
- If they get an odd or unhelpful response from AI, work through it together: “Why might it have said that?”
- Develop a Family Tech Plan together that clearly outlines how and when children can use AI tools.
- Make curiosity and critical thinking the goal, not perfection.
Navigating School Polices and AI Restrictions
As AI tools like ChatGPT and other GenAI platforms become more widely used, schools are working to respond but policies can vary a lot. Some may restrict student use due to concerns about plagiarism, academic integrity, or age-appropriateness, especially when privacy and safety are involved.
Many schools are still catching up as new tools emerge quickly. It’s normal for policies, teacher training, and curriculum updates to still be in progress.
Not Sure About Your School's Policy? Ask!
If you’re unsure where your child’s school stands on AI, it’s perfectly okay to ask. Schools may welcome parent input as they shape their approach.
You might ask:
- Are students allowed to use GenAI tools?
- Do students need to declare when they’ve used AI for schoolwork?
- How does the school handle misuse or inappropriate content?
- Are there recommended or approved tools for learning?
- What is the school’s AI Policy, including data governance and privacy?
- What are students taught about AI? Is there an AI literacy program in place? We encourage you to share information about Day of AI Australia and our learning materials which are completely free for all Australian schools.
Knowing these boundaries helps you guide your child to use AI responsibly and gives them the confidence to ask questions too.
Respectful Conversations Make a Difference
If your family uses AI tools differently at home, that’s okay. Just be prepared to have open, respectful conversations with teachers or school leaders.
You might explain:
- How your child uses AI for brainstorming, organising ideas, or practising skills.
- That you see AI as a complement to learning, not a shortcut or replacement.
- That you’re actively teaching your child to think critically about AI outputs.
Framing your perspective this way helps build mutual understanding and trust.
Take a Look at National and State Guidance
Most state and territory governments have guidance for schools, teachers and parents about GenAI in education. Find out what is available in your state or territory.
Responding to AI Misuse and Emerging Risks
Image-Based Abuse and Deepfakes
AI can now create convincing fake images or videos, known as deepfakes. This includes altering someone’s face, voice, or actions, or resharing private photos without consent. Even seemingly harmless filters or AI-generated edits can cross the line if used without permission. These tools can be misused to embarrass, bully, or impersonate others, causing real harm to a young person’s emotional wellbeing and reputation.
As the eSafety Commissioner notes
GenAI tools, especially ‘nudify’ apps, can be exploited to generate non-consensual synthetic explicit images, including of children. They are increasingly in use among young people, often with devastating impact.
While the technology itself is free, fast, and easy to use, the harm it causes is deeply personal.
Students have had found their image represented in fake nude photos or videos. Others have received AI-generated explicit content of their peers.
Explain that children should always ask permission before sharing images or edited pictures of others—even their close friends and family.
Emphasise the negative impacts of deepfakes, especially non-consensual explicit images. And that they should never create or share this sort of content.
What to Do if a Child is Affected
If your child is affected, stay calm and supportive.
Use language like: ‘I’m glad you told me’ and ‘Let’s figure out what to do together.’
Validate their feelings and avoid judgment.
If your child is a target
- Help them collect evidence—screenshots, links, usernames (without saving or sharing explicit content).
- Do not view, collect, print, share or store explicit material. Make a written description and note where it is located.
- Support them to report the incident—to the platform, the school, local police or eSafety.
- Check on their wellbeing and ask if they’d like professional support.
- Reassure them: they are not alone and help is available.
If your child receives a deepfake
- Praise them for not sharing it.
- Talk about empathy and digital responsibility.
- Reinforce that speaking up was the right thing to do.
If your child created or shared a deepfake
- Stay calm and listen.
- Explain the serious emotional and legal consequences.
- Encourage accountability—deleting the content, apologising, or reporting it so platforms know to remove any copies.
- Talk about respect, consent, and digital values.
- Set clear expectations for future behaviour and follow through consistently.
You can read more about Nudify apps and how to respond on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.
Misplaced Trust in "Empathetic" AI
Some chatbots and AI tools are designed to sound caring or emotionally supportive, but it’s important to explain to children that AI doesn’t have feelings. It can imitate empathy through friendly language, but it doesn’t truly understand or care. Over-relying on AI for emotional support can confuse boundaries or leave young people vulnerable.
How to help:
Talk about the difference between real human connection and simulated conversation. Ask open questions like, “Do you think the AI really understands you?” or “How does talking to a chatbot feel different from talking to a friend or family member?”
AI Cheating Anxiety
Many young people are uncertain about what counts as acceptable AI use at school and fear being accused of cheating. Others may be tempted to rely too heavily on AI for help, unsure where the line is between using a tool and taking a shortcut. This can lead to stress, confusion, or missed learning opportunities.
How to respond:
Encourage honest conversations about AI use in schoolwork. Reassure your child that it’s okay to ask questions—and that learning includes making mistakes. Talk about when it’s okay to use AI (e.g. for planning or researching), and when it’s important to rely on their own thinking. If in doubt, reach out to the school and ask for clarification on the AI policy.
Ask: “Would you treat an AI like a peer? Do you feel worried when an AI misunderstands you?”
Staying Informed
Trusted Sources
- Reputable newsletters (e.g. Day of AI Australia blog, CSIRO tech updates), educational organisations, and child‑friendly news portals.
- Subscribe to the eSafety newsletter for parents: Subscribe here
Learning Together
- Do family “tech check‑ins” on a regular basis: share an AI discovery, talk about new features, ask open questions together.
- eSafety: AI chatbots and companion bots
- eSafety: Deepfakes
11 Top Tips for Parents and Carers
Parents play a powerful role in ensuring young people use AI tools safely and thoughtfully. Here’s our 11 top tips for how parents and carers can support critical thinking and responsible use at home:
- Learn About AI Together
Stay curious! Understanding how AI works helps you have informed conversations with your child—and sets a great example for responsible digital use.
- Supervise Young Users
For primary-aged children, always explore AI tools together. Use devices in shared spaces to promote openness and transparency.
- Foster Open, Non-Judgemental Dialogue
Talk about AI use without accusing or assuming wrongdoing. This helps kids feel safe sharing what they’ve tried or if they’ve seen something inappropriate.
- Help Kids Understand AI’s Limits
Even advanced AI tools can misunderstand questions, make things up, or give outdated information. Encourage kids to ask: “How would I explain this in my own words?”
Encourage kids to ask for help if something feels off.
- Encourage Fact-Checking and Questioning
AI tools can sound confident—even when they’re wrong. Help your child build healthy scepticism by teaching them to pause, verify, and ask critical questions about the information AI provides. Helpful questions to ask when reviewing what an AI tool has generated for you:
“Does this sound right?”
“Where else can we check this?”
“Whose perspective might be missing?”
- Talk About Bias and Data
Explain that AI chatbots are trained on huge amounts of data from the internet—and that this can include stereotypes, misinformation, and outdated ideas or information. Encourage kids to think critically about what they read.
- Remind Them: AI Isn’t Human
AI might sound friendly or “real,” but it can’t feel emotions, understand context, or replace human connection. Remind your child that AI responses can be wrong, misleading, or unsafe—and that most platforms store chat history.
- Be Cautious What You Share
Remind kids that AI tools often store what users type. Before sharing, they should ask:
“Would I be okay with this being saved or seen by someone else?”
They should never share personal details like their name, address, school, phone number, or photos. Explain that uploading a photo means it may be used to train the AI.
Also, they should never share AI-generated content of others without permission—especially if it’s explicit or sexual.
- Talk About When and How to Use AI
Help your child understand appropriate use (like brainstorming or research support), but emphasise that final work must reflect their own thinking. AI can start the creative process, not finish it.
Even better—create a Family Tech Plan together!
- Understand School Expectations
Ask your child’s school about its AI policy. Are students allowed to use AI for assignments? Do they need to declare when they’ve used it? Make sure your child understands the rules.
- Check In Regularly
Technology changes fast. Set a habit of having regular “tech check-ins” where your child can share what tools they’re using and what they’re learning from them.
Family Tech Plan
What is a Family Tech Agreement or Planner?
A Family Tech Agreement or Planner helps families set healthy guidelines for children’s interactions with digital technology, including AI-powered tools and devices.
The Planner Allows You To:
- Decide which AI-powered devices and apps are okay to use (e.g. voice assistants, recommendation algorithms on YouTube Kids, educational AI apps, chatbots).
- Set limits and expectations around technology, tools and device use.
- Agree on where and when AI tools can be used (e.g., not during meals or bedtime).
- Balance AI-based tech use with creative play, outdoor time, and human interactions.
- Remind children that AI does not replace caregivers, teachers, trusted adults, or friends.
Templates are available from:
- eSafety: Family Tech Agreement
- ESafeKids: Creating a Family Technology Plan
- Common Sense Media: Family Tech Planner
Glossary of Terms
Artificial Intelligence (AI): It’s a program made by people that makes computers do things that seem intelligent (or smart) in the same way that humans are intelligent.
AI tool: Software that can automate or assist users with a variety of tasks
Algorithm: A set of rules or steps a computer follows to solve a problem or make a decision.
Bias: When an AI system makes unfair decisions because it learned from unbalanced or incomplete data.
Chatbot: AI software designed for natural language conversations.
Data: Information that AI uses to learn, like what videos you watch or what words you say.
Deepfake: Images, videos, or audio that are edited or generated using AI tools, and that may depict real or non-existent people.
Generative AI: AI that can create new things like images, music, or text.
Hallucination: Instances where AI generates plausible but inaccurate, incorrect, nonsensical, fabricated or misleading output
Large Language Model (LLM): A type of AI model trained on vast amounts of text data, capable of understanding and generating human-like text across a wide range of topics and tasks.
Machine Learning: A way for AI to improve over time by learning from data.
Pattern Recognition: AI’s ability to find similarities or trends in data.
Prediction: A guess made by an AI system based on patterns in data e.g., recommending a movie you might like or guessing what word you’ll type next.
Prompt: Text input or instruction given to an AI model to guide or initiate the generation of specific content or responses.
Recommendation Program: When a system tailors what you see based on your behaviour, such as recommending videos that you are likely to watch.
Token: A small chunk of text (like a word, part of a word, or punctuation mark) that AI systems use to understand and generate language. For example, the sentence “I love pizza!” is split into tokens like “I”, “love”, “pizza”, and “!”.
This resource was originally developed by Day of AI and Common Sense Media. It has been modified by Day of AI Australia.
