Resources

Resource library

The best guides we've found, grouped by what you're trying to do. Every link goes to the original source.

Start here: overviews

Research & expert guidance

Talking with kids

Protecting kids from bad actors

Using AI to learn

Source documents in our library

Our editors also reviewed these downloadable guides. Get them directly from the publishers:

  • Brookings parent tip sheets (2026): What is generative AI; Where kids' information goes; When AI helps learning[12]
  • APA Health Advisory on AI and Adolescent Well-being (2025)[10]
  • UNICEF Guidance on AI and Children 3.0 poster (2025)[15]
  • Internet Matters: A parent's guide to AI tools[4]

References

AI-OK? summarizes these sources in our own words and links to the originals. Short quotes are marked with quotation marks, and some titles are described in [brackets]. All credit for original research and guidance belongs to the authors below.

  1. Common Sense Media. AI (ratings and resources hub). https://www.commonsense.org/ai. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  2. Common Sense Media. Parents' ultimate guide to AI companions and relationships. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-ai-companions-and-relationships. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  3. ConnectSafely. Parent and teen guide to generative AI. https://connectsafely.org/gen-ai-guide/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  4. Internet Matters. A guide to artificial intelligence (AI) for parents. https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/parent-guide-to-artificial-intelligence-ai-tools/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  5. Internet Matters. AI chatbots and companions: parents guide. https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/ai-chatbots-and-virtual-friends-how-parents-can-keep-children-safe/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  6. Family Online Safety Institute. Digital parenting resources. https://fosi.org/parenting/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  7. UNICEF USA. (2026, February 9). Protecting children in the age of AI (featuring Ying Xu, Harvard Child-Centered AI Lab). https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/protecting-children-age-ai. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  8. NSPCC. (2025). Artificial intelligence: safety tips for parents. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2025/artificial-intelligence-safety-tips-for-parents/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  9. Wolbert, E. D., Rudy, T. L., & Perkins, D. F. (2026, March 18). AI chatbots and children's digital safety. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/ai-chatbots-and-childrens-digital-safety. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  10. American Psychological Association. (2025, June). Artificial intelligence and adolescent well-being: An APA health advisory. https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-adolescent-well-being.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  11. Brookings Institution. (2026). A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect. https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-new-direction-for-students-in-an-ai-world. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  12. Brookings Institution. (2026). What is generative AI and what's at stake for kids? Parent tip sheet. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Brookings_What-is-AI_Flyer_DIGITAL.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  13. Brookings Institution. (2026). Where kids' information goes in an AI world. Parent tip sheet 11. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tips-for-parents-raising-resilient-learners-in-an-ai-world. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  14. Brookings Institution. (2026). When AI helps learning, and when it gets in the way. Parent tip sheet 12. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tips-for-parents-raising-resilient-learners-in-an-ai-world. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  15. UNICEF Innocenti. (2025, December). Guidance on AI and children 3.0. https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/policy-guidance-ai-children. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  16. Children and Screens. Youth and generative AI: A guide for parents and educators. https://www.childrenandscreens.org/learn-explore/research/youth-and-generative-ai-a-guide-for-parents-and-educators/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  17. American Academy of Pediatrics. Counseling patients and families on using AI chatbots. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/qa-portal/qa-portal-library/qa-portal-library-questions/counseling-patients-and-families-on-using-ai-chatbots/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  18. American Academy of Pediatrics. AI and teens: Usage trends and mental health effects. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/qa-portal/qa-portal-library/qa-portal-library-questions/ai-and-teens-usage-trends-and-mental-health-effects/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  19. Common Sense Education & Day of AI. AI literacy toolkit for families. https://www.commonsense.org/education/families-ai-literacy-toolkit. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  20. Day of AI. Family resources. https://dayofai.org/family-resources. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  21. Family Online Safety Institute. Teaching kids about AI: A parent's guide to curiosity and critical thinking. https://fosi.org/teaching-kids-about-ai-a-parents-guide-to-curiosity-and-critical-thinking/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  22. PolitiFact. (2025, December 19). How to talk to your kids about AI chatbots and their safety. https://www.politifact.com/article/2025/dec/19/AI-chatbots-companions-talk-to-kids-parent-guide/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  23. Screenagers. Parenting in the screen age podcast. https://www.screenagersmovie.com/screenagers-podcast. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  24. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2024). [Blog post on generative AI and child safety concerns]. www.missingkids.org (link). Accessed October 4, 2026.
  25. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Take It Down. https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  26. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. CyberTipline. https://report.cybertip.org/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  27. Thorn. [Guidance for young people facing online image threats]. www.thorn.org (link). Accessed October 4, 2026.
  28. Thorn. Safe connections guide. https://info.thorn.org/safe-connections-guide. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  29. Thorn. (2024, September 26). Will I be believed? [How deepfakes add to young people's fears about online blackmail]. www.thorn.org (link). Accessed October 4, 2026.
  30. U.S. Secret Service. (2026, August). [Article on online image-based extortion in the age of AI]. www.secretservice.gov (link). Accessed October 4, 2026.
  31. ICAC Task Force. Generative AI fact sheet for school-based professionals. https://icactaskforce.org/assets/genai%20fact%20sheet%20-%20color.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  32. American Academy of Pediatrics. [Q&A on laws and policies around AI-generated deepfakes]. www.aap.org (link). Accessed October 4, 2026.
  33. SANS Institute. Secure the family: 4 AI scam conversations for parents. https://www.sans.org/go/secure-the-family. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  34. KPRC Click2Houston. (2026, June 2). FBI warns of AI voice-cloning scam that mimics loved ones in distress. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/06/02/fbi-warns-of-ai-voice-cloning-scam-that-mimics-loved-ones-in-distress/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  35. Khan Academy. Khanmigo for parents. https://www.khanmigo.ai/parents. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  36. Google. The latest Google AI literacy resources all in one place. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/google-ai-literacy-tools-2025/. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  37. InformationLiteracy.gov. Family resources. https://informationliteracy.gov/resources/family-resources. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  38. Anthropic. AI fluency: Framework & foundations. The 4D framework. Claude Academy. https://academy.claude.com/courses/ai-fluency-framework-foundations/the-4d-framework. Accessed October 4, 2026.
  39. Internet Matters. How to decide if an AI tool is safe (and helpful) for your child. https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/how-to-decide-if-an-ai-tool-is-safe-and-helpful-for-your-child/. Accessed October 4, 2026.