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Learn · AI, safely

Kids and AI: age limits, controls and conversations

8 min · recommended
Why this matters. Kids meet AI in homework apps, games, social media and 'companion' chatbots that act like a friend. The risks are real: wrong answers, over-reliance for schoolwork, and companion bots that encourage emotional dependence. Controls help, but a child who knows why is safer than one who's just been told no.
1

Know the age limits

ChatGPT requires users to be 13 or older, and under-18s need a parent's permission. Most other chatbots have similar or stricter rules. Check each app's terms before your child signs up.

2

Use ChatGPT's parental controls

A parent and teen can link accounts. Then, from Settings, then Parental controls, you can set quiet hours, turn off memory, voice mode and image generation, opt their chats out of training, and get safety alerts. You can't read their conversations.

3

Be wary of companion chatbots

Apps where an AI plays a friend or partner are designed to keep kids talking. After lawsuits, Character.AI removed open-ended chat for under-18s in late 2025. Talk about why an AI 'friend' isn't a real one.

4

Homework: helper, not ghostwriter

Agree together what's OK (explaining a topic, quizzing them) and what isn't (writing the essay). Ask them to show you what they asked the AI.

5

Keep talking

Ask what AI they use and what they use it for. Make it safe for them to tell you when something felt wrong.

Check your understanding

What's the minimum age for ChatGPT?

13, and under-18s need a parent's permission.

Can a parent read their teen's ChatGPT conversations with parental controls?

No. Parents can set limits and get safety alerts, but can't read chats.

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Checked against: OpenAI: Parental controls in ChatGPT · OpenAI: Introducing parental controls · Character.AI: Changes to our under-18 experience · last reviewed 2026-09