Protecting Your Children from AI
Artificial intelligence is everywhere in our children's lives. Here are the real risks, best practices and tools to keep your children safe.
Updated February 2026
Why kids are using AI
In 2026, artificial intelligence is part of children's and teenagers' daily lives. ChatGPT, Gemini, Snapchat My AI... chatbots are just a few clicks away on their phones or computers.
Uses vary widely: homework help, translation, writing, image creation, casual conversations. According to a recent study, over 50% of 12-17 year olds have already used a generative AI tool.
The problem? These tools were not designed for minors. No built-in parental controls, no age adaptation, no usage limits. Parents often feel helpless facing this new digital reality.
4 Risks of AI for Children
Inappropriate Content
Generative AIs can produce violent, sexual or shocking content. Despite filters, workarounds exist ('jailbreaks'). A curious child can get age-inappropriate answers in just a few messages.
Misinformation and Hallucinations
AIs 'hallucinate': they confidently make up facts. A child doing homework may unknowingly incorporate false information. Without developed critical thinking, it's hard to tell fact from fiction.
Privacy and Personal Data
Children easily share personal information in their AI conversations: name, school, address, photos. This data can be stored and used to train models, without parental consent.
Over-reliance and Loss of Autonomy
Using AI for everything — homework, thinking, creativity — can harm cognitive development. Children risk losing the habit of searching, thinking and formulating their own ideas.
5 Rules to Protect Your Children
Install an AI Parental Control Tool
Use a platform that offers real AI-adapted parental controls: conversation monitoring, usage limits, content filtering. Traditional tools (internet parental controls) are not enough for AI.
Adapt Supervision to Age
A 12-year-old and a 17-year-old don't have the same needs. Use guided mode for younger children (question validation) and trusted mode for older teens (activity tracking without reading messages).
Set Time Limits
AI shouldn't be accessible 24/7. Set quiet hours (during school, at night, at mealtimes) to prevent excessive use and preserve family routines.
Teach Critical Thinking
Teach your children that AI can be wrong. Encourage them to verify information, cross-check sources and never share personal information in a chatbot.
Limit Budget and Usage
With a shared credit system, you stay in control of how much AI is consumed. This encourages responsible use and prevents misuse (intensive night use, dependency).
AI Parental Control Tools Comparison
| Feature | ChatGPT | Google Gemini | mifa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parental controls | None | Basic (Family Link) | Complete and built-in |
| Age adaptation | No | Limited | 3 modes (guided, trusted, adult) |
| Credit control | No | No | Shared credits with limits |
| Quiet hours | No | Yes (via Family Link) | Yes, configurable |
| Parent dashboard | No | Basic | Detailed with insights |
| Pricing | $20/month per person | Free (limited) | From $0.01/question |
For a detailed comparison, see our article ChatGPT Alternative for Families
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can a child use AI?
Most AI platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) require a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service. However, even at 13, parental supervision is still recommended. With mifa, you can adjust supervision level by age: guided (12-14), trusted (15-17), or adult (18+).
Is ChatGPT dangerous for children?
ChatGPT was not designed for children. It has no parental controls, no age adaptation and no usage limits. A child could potentially access inappropriate content or share personal information. It's not 'dangerous' per se, but without supervision, risks exist.
How can I know what my child is asking the AI?
On standard ChatGPT or Gemini, it's impossible without looking directly at your child's screen. Mainstream platforms don't offer any parental monitoring tools. mifa solves this with a parent dashboard showing activity (topics covered, usage frequency) without violating the child's privacy.
Is traditional parental control software enough for AI?
No. Traditional parental control software (Qustodio, Family Link) can block access to a site, but they don't control what happens inside an AI conversation. You need a tool specifically designed for AI, that filters content, adapts responses and monitors usage.
What is the best parental control tool for AI?
As of today, mifa by iaiaz is one of the only solutions that integrates parental controls directly into the AI platform. Age-adaptive supervision, shared credits, quiet hours, parent dashboard: everything is designed for safe family use. Free 7-day trial.
Protect Your Children with mifa
mifa is the family AI with built-in parental controls. Age-adaptive supervision, shared credits, quiet hours. Everything you need to use AI as a family, with peace of mind.
7-day free trial • No commitment