Should Kids Still Learn AI? A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Who Are into Tech

Learn why teaching your kids about artificial intelligence makes them critical thinkers, confident, and creative in a world ruled by technology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the global workforce. According to the UK Department for Education, in 2023, 10-30% of jobs are expected to be automated by AI in the following years. The World Economic Forum predicts that automation and generative AI tools will reshape 22% of global jobs by 2027.

These sweeping changes prompt you to question whether your kids’ learning AI is still worthwhile. Yes, it is, but it’s a whole new journey for them. Children should know how AI works and what it can and can’t do. Early AI education allows them to think critically and adapt to a tech-driven world.

Learn why kids should learn AI and how you can prepare them for a fruitful future here.

Key Takeaways:

• AI literacy is a new, essential skill that helps kids understand, use, and question AI tools.
• A child’s early exposure to AI builds skills that can be applied in the future, such as problem-solving and adaptability, in a tech-powered job market.
• Parents can encourage curiosity while setting healthy boundaries for their children’s AI use to strike a balance between technology and human interaction.

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Why AI Education Matters

AI may be a trendy term. However, it drives many of the technologies you and your child are already familiar with. Name it—video recommendations, voice assistants, predictive texts. Machine learning enables these devices to learn from data and enhance their performance over time. 

Young people who participate in AI use may have an advantage in responding to the information that AI tools produce.

AI Literacy: The New Skill

AI literacy refers to the knowledge and skills required to use, understand, and evaluate AI systems effectively. It’s like developing reading and writing skills, but in the digital context. While not everyone can build AI, understanding its language can get people to places.

Being AI literate enables children to:

• Recognise if they’re interacting with AI-generated content.
• Assess the accuracy of the data that AI tools produce.
• Understand what sets machine output and human interaction.
• Avoid trusting AI-generated answers blindly.

Why Learn AI at an Early Age

These are the many benefits of when kids learn about AI at their age:

1. Improves Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Knowing how AI really works encourages children to think critically. Kids will learn to question AI-generated content and do some fact-checking rather than accepting it at face value. They’ll also learn to solve problems by exploring how algorithms make decisions or how generative AI identifies patterns.

2. Strengthens Computational Thinking

Computational thinking is the ability to divide complex problems and ideas into smaller steps, and it’s the core of AI education. Kids will learn to solve challenges in portions rather than taking them on all at once. This skill is also useful in mathematics, research, and coding.

3. Teaches Responsible AI Use

When children learn how to use AI, they also learn when and when not to use AI tools and why human judgement is still necessary. This nurtures them to become thoughtful learners—they understand the difference between letting AI complete tasks for them and using AI to support their learning.

4. Supports Writing and Reading Skills

When AI tools are used effectively, the text they generate may improve writing skills. As kids compare their own writing with AI-generated content, they can identify mistakes and improve their language use and comprehension.

5. Prepares Them for a Changing Job Market

Machines and AI tools will automate administrative tasks and repetitive work. Children who know how to use AI tools well and think critically will grow in the tech landscape.

How Schools and Teachers Can Use AI Education

More schools are now integrating AI education into their lessons to support academic learning. Here’s how it works:

• AI-powered lesson planning tools can personalise learning for various students.
• Generative AI tools help teachers prepare reading materials.
• AI products can assist in grading or tracking a student’s progress while reducing the time spent working on the task.

Teachers should still guide children throughout the entire learning process. While AI summarises texts or generates quizzes, teachers should make students even more curious about the lesson.

They should help students learn to:

• Use AI as a support tool.
• Evaluate, correct mistakes, and fact-check AI-generated content.
• Understand why some AI tools may give incomplete answers.

How AI Is Integrated into Lessons

AI education can start by introducing AI concepts through examples and stories. Teachers can explain how a computer recognises a cat in a photo or why voice assistants sometimes end up doing the wrong thing. These discussions can make kids curious and aware of AI.

Once students learn the basics, they can now take on simple code exercises to learn how AI learns from data and understand that machines follow patterns that humans have designed.

Teachers can include AI in their lessons after students have understood the basic concepts and completed code exercises. For example, students can compare AI translations with those of humans during language classes. They can also use AI tools to simulate experiments by creating virtual worlds and predicting complex outcomes.

The Parents’ Role in Supporting AI Learning

As a parent, you can help your child start learning about AI even if you’re not a tech expert. Do these small, daily activities with them to spark their curiosity and make them more confident:

• Talk to them: Ask your kids about their thoughts on AI and what it does. Provide easy examples, such as YouTube’s recommendations or Alexa’s answers to questions.
• Explore AI tools: Try child-friendly AI tools that let your kids experiment with generative AI and machine learning. These tools can be capable of creating digital art or recognising shapes.
• Make them think: Ask your child if the answers from the AI tool are correct, and how they can check it. This prompts your child to think of solutions.
• Balance creativity and technology: Remind your kids that AI is a helpful tool. It won’t replace their writing skills or imagination.
• Stay curious: Learn about new AI trends with your kids to see how humans and technology work together.

Keeping AI learning safe, thoughtful, and fun helps kids understand AI more easily.

How AI Switches Up the Learning Process

Traditional education focuses more on memorisation. With AI tools now capable of generating information in seconds, students can think more critically and analyse what they read and write.

When used correctly, AI can be a valuable learning tool. It can support teachers with planning lessons, help students practise writing and review assignments, and provide explanations for research.

However, AI isn’t perfect. It can make mistakes or give wrong answers. That’s why students and teachers should check and ensure the output is correct to understand how limited technology can be.

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Addressing Concerns About AI in Education

Does using AI mean students won’t think for themselves anymore?

This will depend on how AI is introduced and used. If kids use AI to complete tasks and accept generated content without any care, it can weaken their critical thinking.

If you introduce AI to your kids for exploration, questioning, and improving the content generated by the tools, it can help them think and learn more effectively.

Will AI replace teachers?

No. AI tools can provide quick answers and work on administrative tasks. They don’t understand emotions. On the other hand, teachers guide students and explain complex concepts to them.

Will AI make reading and writing skills obsolete?

It’s actually the opposite. Reading comprehension and strong writing skills are important when dealing with AI tools. Students should be constant readers and good writers to assess if the AI-generated content makes sense. They should be able to spot mistakes and understand sentence structures.

How to Prepare Kids for an AI-Driven Future

1. Teach human values with technology

As AI keeps changing, children should learn that humans are unique in their creativity, moral judgement, and empathy. AI tools can code software or write essays, but they don’t know what fairness even means.

That’s why AI classes should include lessons on understanding bias and fairness in AI products, as well as responsible use of these technologies.

2. Focus on Important Human Skills

Human interaction, critical thinking, and creativity are still irreplaceable in an AI-driven world. Help your kids develop the following human qualities:

• Writing and reading skills: Let them practice writing by journaling or give them books to read that are suitable for their age. As they continue to read and write over the years, they will develop analytical thinking that can be used to analyse content from AI.
• Problem solving: Give your kids puzzles and projects to solve and work on over a period of time, so they can build the grit to overcome challenges
• Empathy and teamwork: Encourage your kids to participate in group activities to enhance communication and foster a deeper understanding of their peers.

3. Build the Ability to Adapt

The world your children will live in will look vastly different from the one we live in today. As AI becomes a huge part of every profession, understanding how it works and how to use it thoughtfully is important.

When students work with AI creatively, they become more flexible and confident to adapt to change.

4. Be a Good Role Model

Show your children that you use AI responsibly for writing, organising tasks, or research. Teach them to think before using the generated content so they won’t rely on AI for almost anything.

Why Enrol Your Kids in Software Academy’s AI Courses

At Software Academy, we teach students how AI and its tools actually work. We give them online hands-on lessons in coding, machine learning, game design, and other tech-related topics to nurture their innovative minds.

All our courses are accredited by the NCFE, so you can be assured that your child is equipped with the right skills as they pursue their passion for tech in the future. We hone their reading, writing, and research skills on top of technical knowledge. Our expert instructors know how to balance AI education with creativity and human collaboration.

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Conclusion

Being literate with AI from an early age prepares your children to use and interact with technology responsibly, think outside the box, and develop technical and soft skills that can serve them well in the future.

When AI education zeroes in on values and knowledge, young people become adept AI users and thoughtful human beings who are resilient to the challenges of our modern world.

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