AI can help kids with homework, but is it helping them learn? Developmental scientist Dr Kristyn Sommer shares what parents need to know.
If your child hasn’t started experimenting with AI yet, chances are it’s only a matter of time.
New research from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner found that 78 per cent of children aged 10 to 17 have used an AI assistant, including 64 per cent of 10 to 12-year-olds.
And while many parents are still getting their heads around the technology, kids are already using it to answer questions, complete homework and help with school assignments.
But there is an obvious catch. AI may give your child the right answer, but where does the learning come in?
It’s a concern Australian tutoring company Cluey Learning is addressing with the launch of Cluey Plus, an AI-powered learning platform, aligned to the Australian state and territory curricula and designed for Australian students in Years 2 to 12.
Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, which can produce a finished answer in seconds, Cluey Plus is designed to help children work through questions themselves, with hints, explanations and guided support along the way.
Developmental scientist Dr Kristyn Sommer, who is working with Cluey Learning as an expert partner, says parents also need to understand why children can become so comfortable interacting with AI.
“Chatbots can copy parts of that experience,” she explains, referring to how children learn through interactions with responsive people. “They answer straight away, use words like ‘I’ and ‘you’, and can sound friendly and interested.”
It’s easy to see why children might enjoy chatting to something that always has an answer. But Dr Sommer offers an important reminder: “sounding caring isn’t the same as being a person who cares about you.”
So, what should parents be teaching their children before they start using AI?
Five things every parent should teach their child before using AI
1. Set some ground rules first
Helping explain a tricky maths problem? Sure. Writing an entire assignment? Not so much.
Before your child starts using AI, have a conversation about what’s okay to use it for and what still needs to be their own work. It’s also worth checking their school’s policy.
Dr Sommer recommends introducing the topic early, even if your child hasn’t used AI yet.
“If they’re talking to Alexa or Siri, you already have something to discuss,” she says.
For younger children, explain that chatbots are computer programs that generate answers using patterns learned from language. They might sound clever, but they can still make mistakes.
“I’d make it an ongoing conversation rather than one big talk.”
Remember to check age restrictions too. Some AI platforms require users to be at least 13, with parental permission for anyone under 18.
We teach our kids not to give strangers personal information online, and chatting to AI shouldn’t be any different.
According to eSafety, more than half of children who had used an AI assistant or companion had turned to it for personal or social reasons, including advice about their feelings or health. Around one in three had shared something personal.
“A chatbot can feel easy to talk to. It replies, sounds interested and may seem less judgmental than a person,” explains Dr Sommer. “The concern is that this can make the conversation feel more private than it really is.”
If your child has shared something personal, Dr Sommer suggests staying calm, finding out what happened and agreeing on some simple rules.
Her advice? “No names, no photos, no secrets in the chatbot, and you can always tell me if you’ve already shared something.”
And remind them that if something is worrying them, a parent, teacher or trusted adult is the person to talk to.
3. Just because AI says it, doesn’t mean it’s true
AI chatbots can sound remarkably convincing, even when the information it’s giving is wrong.
Dr Sommer has studied how children decide whether to trust information from robots. In one study, children aged three to six watched a person and a robot name different objects. When deciding who to believe, they considered which had previously given correct answers.
“A child can recognise that a robot has been wrong and still want to interact with it,” she explains.
It’s a useful reminder that children need practice questioning what technology tells them.
Dr Sommer recommends making fact-checking something you do together. When an AI tool gives an answer, try asking, “That sounds convincing. How could we check it?” Then look for another reliable source.
“The goal isn’t to teach children that AI is always wrong. It’s to practise deciding when to trust an answer.”
4. Teach them to ask for help, not just answers
There’s a big difference between asking AI to do your homework and asking it to help you understand something.
Instead of typing “do my maths homework”, encourage your child to ask for a hint or an explanation of a concept they’re struggling with. Even a simple follow-up question like “Why does that work?” can help them think about what they’re learning.
And this is where choosing the right AI tool can make a difference.
5. Make sure they’re still doing the thinking
When AI can produce an answer in seconds, it’s tempting to let it do the hard work. But that might not be doing our kids any favours.
A 2025 study involving almost 1,000 high-school maths students found that those using an AI tool performed better during practice. However, when they were later tested without AI, their grades were 17 per cent lower than students who hadn’t used it.
Interestingly, students using a version of the tool that offered hints and helped them work through problems, rather than simply giving them the answers, didn’t experience the same drop in performance.
“There’s also a difference between getting an answer and learning how to reach it,” says Dr Sommer. “A useful tool should help them work through a problem, not just hand over the answer.”
And there’s an easy way for parents to see whether their child has actually understood something. Ask them to explain how they got their answer.
If they can talk you through the steps, rather than just show you the finished work, that’s a good sign they’re learning.
One thing parents can do this week
For parents wondering where to start, Dr Sommer has one simple suggestion. “Practise checking an answer together.”
Ask an AI chatbot a factual question, read the answer with your child and see if you can verify it using another reliable explains. “The lesson is that an answer can sound convincing and still need checking.”
Because when it comes to homework, getting the answer is one thing. Understanding how to get there is what really counts.
