Is AI Safe for Kids? What Parents Need to Know Before They Say Yes
The short answer
AI can be used safely by kids only with an adult in charge. ChatGPT and Gemini require users to be 13 or older (ChatGPT also needs a parent's permission under 18), Character.AI's minimum is 13, and parental controls help but aren't foolproof. Use AI together, set family rules, and keep kids away from AI "companions."
Sources: OpenAI Terms of Use; Gemini Apps Help: sign-in requirements; Character.AI Terms of Service; OpenAI: Introducing parental controls; Common Sense Media, Apr 30, 2025
Nothing on this page promises that a setting, app or rule will keep a child safe. These steps help reduce risk. You, the parent, are still the most important safety feature in your home.
Your kids may already be using AI
If you think your teen hasn't tried a chatbot yet, you may be surprised. In a Pew Research Center survey published February 24, 2026, 51% of parents said their teen uses chatbots, but 64% of teens said they do. About three in ten parents weren't sure, and roughly four in ten hadn't talked with their teen about chatbots at all.
Source: Pew Research Center, Feb 24, 2026
That gap is the reason for this page. You don't need to be a tech expert. You need to know the rules, set a few of your own, and stay in the conversation.
What age can kids use AI? The rules, app by app
Every AI company sets its own minimum age in its terms. Here's what each one says, in its own words, as of the date we checked. Rules change, so check the company's page before you decide.
| AI tool | Minimum age (company's own rule) | Under 18 | Source, checked Nov 3, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | 13, or the minimum age in your country | Needs a parent's or legal guardian's permission | OpenAI Terms of Use |
| Gemini (Google), personal account | 13, or the applicable age in your country | Some features unavailable under 18 | Gemini Apps Help: sign-in requirements |
| Gemini for children under 13 | Only through a parent-managed Google Family Link account, after the parent turns it on | Parent gets an email when the child first uses it; not available for supervised accounts in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK | Gemini Apps Help: Family Link |
| Character.AI | 13 (16 in the EEA and UK) | Character.AI announced on Oct 29, 2025 that it would remove open-ended AI chat for users under 18 | Character.AI Terms of Service; Character.AI blog, Oct 29, 2025 |
A minimum age is the company's legal floor, not a recommendation that every 13-year-old is ready. Many families wait longer, and many use AI only side by side with a parent.
Why 13? (COPPA in one paragraph)
In the U.S., the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) puts extra requirements on websites and apps directed to children under 13, or that know they're collecting personal information from a child under 13. The Federal Trade Commission says the rule's primary goal is 'to place parents in control over what information is collected from their young children online.' That's why many AI tools set their minimum age at 13.
Sources: FTC: COPPA Rule; FTC: Complying with COPPA FAQ
Is ChatGPT safe for kids?
ChatGPT isn't built for children under 13; OpenAI's terms set 13 as the minimum and require a parent's permission for anyone under 18. For teens, OpenAI offers parental controls.
What ChatGPT parental controls can do
- You send your teen an invite and they accept (teens can also invite you). Then you manage their settings from your own account.
- Linked teen accounts get extra content protections, including reduced graphic content, viral challenges, sexual, romantic or violent roleplay, and extreme beauty ideals.
- You can set quiet hours when ChatGPT can't be used, turn off voice mode, memory and image generation, and opt your teen out of model training.
- You can turn on study mode so new chats start in a guided, learning style.
- If your teen unlinks the accounts, you're notified. In rare cases where OpenAI's systems and reviewers see signs of acute distress, OpenAI says it may alert parents.
Sources: OpenAI: Introducing parental controls; OpenAI Help Center: Parental controls FAQ
What they can't do
- Linking accounts does not let you read your teen's conversations or chat history. (OpenAI Help Center: Parental controls FAQ)
- OpenAI says it plainly: guardrails 'help, but they're not foolproof and can be bypassed if someone is intentionally trying to get around them.' (OpenAI: Introducing parental controls)
- AI answers can be wrong. OpenAI's own terms say output 'may not always be accurate.' (OpenAI Terms of Use)
So the controls are a seatbelt, not a driver. Use them, and keep talking.
Character.AI and AI "companions": the biggest red flag
AI companions are chatbots designed to act like a friend, a crush or a confidant. That's what makes them different from a homework helper, and it's why they worry child-safety groups the most.
- In April 2025, Common Sense Media, working with Stanford's Brainstorm lab, rated social AI companions as an 'unacceptable' risk for minors and recommended no AI companions for anyone under 18. Its testers found that age gates and teen guardrails were easily circumvented. (Common Sense Media, Apr 30, 2025)
- In September 2025, the Federal Trade Commission opened an inquiry into seven companies that run consumer chatbots, including Character Technologies, OpenAI, Alphabet and Meta, asking how they measure and limit harm to children and teens. The FTC noted these chatbots are often 'designed to communicate like a friend or confidant,' which may lead kids to trust and form relationships with them. (FTC press release, Sept 11, 2025)
- Character.AI's own terms set a minimum age of 13, and the company announced in October 2025 that it would end open-ended AI chat for users under 18. (Character.AI Terms of Service; Character.AI blog, Oct 29, 2025)
A child's closest friendships, and their hard conversations, belong with real people. If your child uses any app with a 'character' or 'companion' they talk to, sit down and look at it together this week.
Gemini and other AI built into phones, games and search
AI isn't only in chatbot apps. It shows up inside search, phones, games and school tools. Google lets parents of children under 13 turn Gemini on or off in Family Link, and sends the parent an email the first time the child uses it. For teens 13 and up on a personal account, Gemini is available directly, with some features held back for users under 18.
Sources: Gemini Apps Help: sign-in requirements; Gemini Apps Help: Family Link
Check the settings on every device your child uses, not just the apps you know about.
Warning signs to watch for
- They hide the screen or close an app when you walk in.
- They talk about a chatbot as if it's a person who 'understands' them.
- They're up late chatting, or they're upset when they can't get to the app.
- Homework is suddenly perfect, but they can't explain it.
- They've shared their name, school, photos or location with an AI app.
None of these mean something terrible is happening. They mean it's time for a calm conversation. If you're worried about your child's emotional health, talk to your pediatrician or a counselor.
The family AI rules checklist (copy, print, sign)
Rules work best when kids help write them. Here's a starting checklist. Adjust it for each child's age.
- Ages first. We follow each app's minimum age. Under 13, AI is used only with a parent, on a parent's account.
- Out in the open. AI is used in shared spaces (kitchen, living room), not behind a closed door.
- Never type these: full name, address, school, passwords, photos of yourself or family, or anyone else's private information.
- No AI "friends." We don't use companion or character chat apps.
- Check the answer. AI can be wrong and sound sure. We check important answers with a trusted source or a parent.
- Homework honesty. Try it yourself first. Use AI to explain or check, never to hand in as your own (and follow the teacher's rules).
- Feelings go to people. If something online upsets you, you tell a parent. Big feelings and hard questions go to family, not a chatbot.
- Controls on. Parents set up parental controls (quiet hours, content protections) where available.
- Time limits. AI time counts as screen time in our home.
- We revisit this at the start of each school year, or whenever a new app shows up.
Signed: ______________________ ______________________ Date: __________
Want a full family media plan? The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a free, customizable Family Media Plan you can build with your kids.
Learn this together with your family
Reading a guide is a good start. Seeing it done is better. In the Faith, Family & AI Challenge, Nate and Jenifer Armstrong walk families through AI live, in plain words: age limits, parental controls and their limits, privacy habits, and how to write a Family AI Agreement together. It's three live evenings on Zoom, 6:30 to 8:00 PM ET, on Dec 1–3, 2026. One $37 ticket covers your whole household.
Risk free: 100% money-back guarantee through the last day of the event (Thursday, Dec 3, 2026). Attend, and if you're not happy, we'll refund you.
See the Faith, Family & AI Challenge →Three live evenings for the whole family. Plain words, no tech skills needed.
— Nate & Jenifer
More help for parents
If you're wondering how to talk with your kids about AI at each age, and how it fits your family's values, read our parent guide at Raising Kids With AI.
Homeschooling? See how families use AI tutors with guardrails at home.
Straight from the source: OpenAI parental controls · Gemini Family Link help · Common Sense Media on AI companions · FTC: COPPA · AAP Family Media Plan
FAQs
Is AI safe for kids?
It can be used more safely with an adult in charge, but no app is risk-free. Follow each app's minimum age, use AI together, turn on parental controls, teach kids what never to type, and keep them away from AI companion apps. Controls help, but OpenAI itself says guardrails aren't foolproof.
Sources: OpenAI Terms of Use; OpenAI: Introducing parental controls; Common Sense Media, Apr 30, 2025
What age can kids use ChatGPT?
OpenAI's Terms of Use say users must be at least 13, or the minimum age in their country, and anyone under 18 needs a parent's or legal guardian's permission.
Source: OpenAI Terms of Use
Are ChatGPT parental controls enough?
They help but aren't enough on their own. They add content protections, quiet hours and options to turn off voice, memory and images. But linking doesn't show you your teen's chats, and OpenAI says guardrails can be bypassed. Pair them with family rules and regular conversations.
Sources: OpenAI: Introducing parental controls; OpenAI Help Center: Parental controls FAQ
Is Character.AI safe for kids?
Character.AI's terms say no one under 13 may sign up (16 in the EEA and UK), and the company announced in October 2025 that it would end open-ended chat for users under 18. Common Sense Media recommends no social AI companions for anyone under 18.
Sources: Character.AI Terms of Service; Character.AI blog, Oct 29, 2025; Common Sense Media, Apr 30, 2025
Can my child under 13 use Google Gemini?
Only through a parent-managed Google Family Link account. A parent has to turn Gemini on, and Google emails the parent when the child first uses it. Personal Google accounts need users to be 13 or older.
Sources: Gemini Apps Help: sign-in requirements; Gemini Apps Help: Family Link
What is COPPA, and why does it matter for AI?
COPPA is a U.S. rule enforced by the FTC. It puts requirements on websites and apps directed to children under 13, or that knowingly collect personal information from them, with the goal of putting parents in control of what's collected. It's a big reason many AI tools set 13 as their minimum age.
Sources: FTC: COPPA Rule; FTC: Complying with COPPA FAQ
What should our family AI rules include?
Start with ages, using AI in shared spaces, what never to type, no AI companions, checking answers, homework honesty, taking big feelings to people, parental controls and time limits. Revisit the rules each school year.
Source: AAP Family Media Plan
Is there a class that teaches parents AI safety?
Yes. Free guides from Common Sense Media and the AAP are a good start. If you'd like to learn live with your family, the Faith, Family & AI Challenge covers age limits, parental controls and a Family AI Agreement over three evenings.
Three live evenings for the whole family.
Plain words, no tech skills needed.
See the Faith, Family & AI Challenge →Sources
Every fact on this page links to the organization that published it. We read each page on November 3, 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you decide.
- OpenAI, “Terms of Use (effective Jan 1, 2026)”. https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- OpenAI, “Introducing parental controls (updated July 13, 2026)”. https://openai.com/index/introducing-parental-controls/. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- OpenAI Help Center, “Parental controls on ChatGPT FAQ”. https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12315553-parental-controls-on-chatgpt-faq. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Character.AI, “Terms of Service (last updated Aug 27, 2025)”. https://policies.character.ai/tos. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Character.AI, “Taking bold steps to keep teen users safe (blog, Oct 29, 2025)”. https://blog.character.ai/u18-chat-announcement/. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Google, “Gemini Apps Help: What you need to sign in to Gemini Apps”. https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13278668?hl=en. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Google, “Gemini Apps Help: Guide your child's Gemini Apps experience”. https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/16109150?hl=en. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, “Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), 16 CFR Part 312”. https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, “Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions”. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, “FTC Launches Inquiry into AI Chatbots Acting as Companions (Sept 11, 2025)”. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-launches-inquiry-ai-chatbots-acting-companions. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Common Sense Media, “AI Companions Decoded (press release, Apr 30, 2025)”. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/ai-companions-decoded-common-sense-media-recommends-ai-companion-safety-standards. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatrics / HealthyChildren.org, “Family Media Plan”. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx. Checked Nov 3, 2026.
- Pew Research Center, “What parents say about their teen's AI use (Feb 24, 2026)”. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/what-parents-say-about-their-teens-ai-use/. Checked Nov 3, 2026.