Starting Off the School Year: How to Use AI to Manage Your Time as a Student
Every semester, at least one student in my class inevitably falls prey to poor time management -- and it's painful for everyone involved. They wait until the last minute to turn something in, or forget the work was due or don't give themselves enough time to finish it.
I hate turning down their deadline extension requests -- despite whatever creative excuses they come up with -- so, with input from my students, I've compiled a list of AI tools to help them stay on track.
Here are some common time management pitfalls according to real students, and how to remedy them as a busy learner trying to manage your time with AI.
For when your assignment takes longer than expected
Pitfall: The work took way longer than you thought it would.
AI solution: Ask Copilot to review your assignments and give you a time estimate to complete them.
One senior told me they spent six hours on reading materials they assumed would take them about one hour to absorb. Sure, that 5-page excerpt might seem straightforward and easy to tackle, but students are often surprised their expectations don't line up with reality once they get into the trenches.
Microsoft Copilot, billed as an AI assistant that uses large language model learning to help you with a host of conversational queries, is great for getting a handle on how long the work might really take. Copilot is built into Edge, Microsoft's browser, and can quickly and accurately review web pages as you're looking at them.
You can ask Copilot to review your learning materials, assignments and deadlines and give you estimates on how much time it might take to complete and prepare for the work without having to copy and paste anything or have a long conversation with other text prompt chat bots.
Screenshot by Rachel Kane/CNET
For when you're juggling school, work and life
Pitfall: Personal and professional priorities outweigh school work.
AI solution: Ask Gemini for reminders about assignments and due dates, and let it fill the calendar out for you.
Another senior said they often find themselves trying to balance coursework with the work that pays the bills, creating a scenario in which assignments can sometimes fall into the "out of sight, out of mind" mental cavern.
Google Gemini, the company's answer to OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT, can help students remember to prioritize their schoolwork by integrating alerts into the set of Google tools they frequently use, like Gmail and Google Calendar.
This does require you to give Gemini permission to access your other Google tools, but that only takes a second. Once you've let Gemini know you'd like to receive reminders about assignments and due dates, you can drop a Copilot-designed timeline into the chat and it will do the heavy lifting of filling out the calendar for you.
Screenshot by Rachel Kane/CNET
For when you're struggling with the coursework
Pitfall: Something went wrong and you're just over it.
AI solution: Use AI chatbot Abby as a sounding board to review your feelings and suggest areas of improvement.
A graduate student brought up the mental impact of scholastic to-do's falling through the cracks as a major impediment to keeping their time management on point. The emotional domino effect of missing something when you're already overwhelmed can be deadly to your overall grade if you let IDGAF disease set in.
Abby, an AI chatbot that aims to provide the comfort and guided introspection of a therapist, gives you a sounding board to review your feelings and find the silver lining in any poop-colored cloud.
Early in conversation with the tool, Abby will give you an analysis on your situation as you've explained it and provide some positive traits it identifies in you, as well as suggestions for areas for improvement.
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Forbes
13 minutes ago
- Forbes
Best Laptops For College 2025
If you're heading into a higher ed classroom this fall, having a lightweight and reliable laptop is a must. In addition to portability, the best laptops for college should also offer all-day battery life, a powerful processor to handle the heaviest student software and have seamless AI integrations to streamline your studies. After researching over two dozen models and testing some of the most promising options, I found the Asus Zenbook S 14 Touch Copilot+ PC Laptop is the best laptop for college overall. During my research and testing, I considered portability, processing power and battery life. I also considered software features—like Microsoft Copilot—to streamline workflows and enhance student study sessions. That said, some students may require more processing power, and for those working with the heaviest of applications, take a look at the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Copilot+ PC. For those with more modest needs, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is great for taking notes and light schoolwork. No matter your needs, here are the best laptops for college students that you can get today. Our Top Recommendations Best Laptop For College Overall Memory: 32GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen size: 13.4 inches | Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 processor Series 2 | Graphics: Intel Arc | Weight: 2.6 pounds Pros: Cons: For the best overall blend of performance, portability and features, the Asus Zenbook S 14 Touch Copilot+ PC laptop should be your top consideration. The laptop weighs only 2.6 pounds, making it easy to pack into a backpack or a messenger bag and move around campus. The Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor is good enough for most tasks, and combined with 32GB RAM, you'll be able to run most applications with ease. However, its keynote feature is the 14-inch, 3K OLED touchscreen, which can help you find a workflow that suits your needs, whether you tap the display or opt to use the responsive mousepad. Or, if you're not working, you can watch your favorite shows with deep, inky blacks, though keep in mind that 400 nits may not be bright enough for sunny afternoons in your dorm room. Its storage capacity is large at 1TB, and it can last for hours away from a socket. Graphics-inclined students will want to look for something else, preferably with a Nvidia graphics card—the Intel Arc graphics chip won't suffice for editing projects. One key feature: Microsoft Copilot is built-in, and there's a dedicated key on the keyboard that launches the AI tool quickly. You can also opt to use facial recognition technology to lock your computer if you stand Plus, the white ceraluminum finish, which is a sturdy blend of ceramic and aluminum, meets MIL-STD 810H military standards for durability, is scratch resistant and offers a tactile keyboard feel for when you toss everything into a bag. There is also the matter of bloatware; Asus laptops come pre-installed with potentially unwanted apps like McAfee and others. But based on our testing, it's easy to uninstall that stuff for a smooth working experience. Best Value Laptop For College Memory: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen size: 14 inches | Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V | Graphics: Intel Arc | Weight: 3.4 pounds Pros: Cons: If you absolutely need to keep the cost under $1,000, the Dell 14 Plus is a device that costs exactly that and comes with plenty of useful features for your studies. While it's a little heavier than my top pick at 3.4 pounds, it still comes with the must-have basics: 1TB of storage, 16GB RAM, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor. Again, graphics students should look elsewhere, as the Intel Arc graphics won't be enough to tackle editing projects. That said, for very light editing and image work, the laptop offers Cocreator to help generate AI images for projects, and the QHD+ resolution looks lovely. And, of course, there's a built-in Microsoft Copilot button. Dell claims the battery life lasts up to 22 hours, but that's only if you configure the laptop with fairly conservative settings. Still, you should expect to get a full day of use and then some if you forget your charger in the dorm room. The display has a lower brightness, clocking in at 300 nits. On the other hand, it offers a 100% sRGB and Dolby Vision to enhance the display's visual details and showcase color accuracy. You can also expect to connect plenty of peripherals thanks to its generous port selection, which includes an HDMI and a Thunderbolt 4 port. Best MacBook For College Memory: 24GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen size: 14.2 inches | Processor: 12-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores | Graphics: 16-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Weight: 3.5 pounds Pros: Cons: The MacBook Pro M4 Pro 14-Inch is one of the best options—not just for Apple users who crave raw processing power, but also for graphics-minded students who need to use features like Final Cut Pro for editing work. The MacBook Pro has a vivid Liquid Retina XDR display with a gorgeous 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and Apple's Wide color (P3) and True Tone technology. In short, that winning combination means that you'll get super accurate colors with deep contrast on the 14.2-inch display. It also offers refresh rates of up to 120Hz for editing action sequences, and the brightness is pretty impressive, too—it can reach 1,600 nits for HDR content. If you're using your MacBook for the heaviest of applications like CAD work and multitasking, you may want to opt for two things: the M4 Max chip with more processing cores; and 32GB of RAM to keep your memory running smoothly. Apple claims that the battery life can last up to 22 hours video streaming and up to 14 hours of wireless web use, and while I opted for 1TB of storage, you can also configure the laptop to house up to 8TB, depending on your preferences—just keep in mind that it'll cost you significantly more if you opt for either feature. For most, the M4 Pro and 24GB will be enough for most editing projects. Because Apple offers a seamless experience within its frameworks, you can use your iPhone, AirPods and more with the laptop. You can also connect it to a display to work on, and if you plan to buy one for your dorm room, make sure you check out my recommendations on the best monitors for your MacBook Pro to get the most of out your laptop's and display's features. Just keep in mind that this MacBook weighs 3.5 pounds, which is a little on the heavier side. That said, for those who aren't fully accustomed to the Apple ecosystem, many college software systems operate with Windows—not Mac. As such, you may have to run Windows emulators, according to students who use MacBooks. If you're not used to or familiar with these, then it may be best to opt for a Windows laptop. Also, if you opt for the MacBook Pro and want a larger screen, you can get it in a 16-inch model, too. Best Value MacBook For College Memory: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Screen size: 13.6 inches | Processor: 10‑core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores | Graphics: 10‑core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Weight: 2.7 pounds Pros: Cons: For most students, the Apple MacBook Air is my value option because it punches well above its weight, especially compared with other laptops in the $1,200 price range. The device weighs 2.7 pounds, so you can easily carry it around campus, and its seamless integration with other Apple software makes it easy to optimize your workflow with your iPhone, iPad and more. The M4 chipset is suitable for most projects, especially if you're using your laptop for hammering out last-minute papers or light editing work. While the Liquid Retina display isn't as detailed as the Liquid Retina XDR display, nor does it get as bright, it's still impressive with support for one billion colors, Wide color P(3) and True Tone technology. The configuration I chose offers 16GB of RAM and a 512GB. It's not as much space, but if you're storing most of your documents on iCloud, the lower storage capacity won't matter. If you absolutely need more storage, it will substantially increase the price tag. Again, because it's MacOS, you should expect to run a couple of Windows emulators, according to students who use this laptop as their main device. Because it doesn't have a Pro chipset under the hood, engineering students and graphics students will want to consider a stronger laptop. Best Chromebook For College Memory: 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Screen size: 14 inches | Processor: Intel 13th Gen Core i3 | Graphics: Intel UHD graphics | Weight: 3.5 pounds Pros: Cons: To be fully transparent, I don't recommend a Chromebook for college. With universities increasing their digital footprint with online assignments and projects, a Chromebook is generally only good for document creation and web surfing—and in many classes, a Chromebook will simply not get the job done. If you know for sure that your curriculum won't require a full Windows or Mac laptop though, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus offers a good set of features for under $600, and it's good for note-taking during class. While the Intel i3 chipset is not as powerful as the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor that's used in many laptops on my list of recommendations, it's plenty suitable for streaming Netflix and YouTube videos as well as document and spreadsheet work. One of the major perks to this Chromebook is its Google Gemini integrations. Because it's a Chromebook, you'll get access to Gemini and you can opt for the Adobe Photoshop Express software, which gives you some light editing features. This Chromebook is also around the same weight as my top MacBook pick, the MacBook Pro. It also has a durable hinge so you can use the touchscreen as a tablet or unfold it to use the device as a laptop. There's also the storage to consider, and the Lenovo Flex 5i offers 128GB of storage. Its 8GB RAM is good enough to do some light multitasking, and while the 14-inch display only hits 300 nits brightness, based on my testing, it looks sufficiently bright. The Intel UHD graphics is nothing special, but again, it's good enough for using Adobe Photoshop Express. Best Laptop For College And Gaming Memory: 32GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen size: 14 inches | Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 300 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | Weight: 3.4 pounds Pros: Cons: If you're a gamer, you want four features: A powerful processor to play AAA titles; an equally powerful graphics card to showcase your game's visual details; enough RAM to help process these heavy applications; and a good display to feel immersed in the game. For college students, adding that gaming element can feel tricky, because now you need to add portability into that mix—and oftentimes, you have to sacrifice one or two features to get a good blend for work and play. That's what makes the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Copilot+ PC laptop so enticing. It manages to pack everything in without these sacrifices, and it's not just for gamers. The powerful combination of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the 32GB RAM, which can handle heavy application work with ease, makes it ideal for engineering and graphics students. While the gold standard is 16GB, increasingly, laptops have leaned toward 32GB for AI features and other intensive applications. With new technologies in mind, this laptop should last you the entirety of your college career. And of course, after your last class, the Nvidia chip is the latest-gen chip and allows you to play those aforementioned AAA titles. The AMD Ryzen AI 300 chipset also helps with these powerful applications, but it's two-fold. That's because this gaming laptop also offers Microsoft Copilot via a dedicated button, which is great if you use AI to complement your schoolwork. In short, yes, it's good for gamers, but it's also a great choice for students who need a powerful graphics chip that runs on Windows. The 3K OLED display hits 500 nits and offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It makes photo and video edits and games look simply gorgeous, with impressive contrast and deep, inky blacks, according to real students who use this device for classwork and gaming. That said, if you're not a gamer, unless you're using this for heavy schoolwork applications, this laptop may be overkill. I also named this laptop the best ultraportable laptop for gaming, too. Why Trust Forbes Vetted The Forbes Vetted team has published hundreds of tech and electronic guides, including home office essentials like the best home printers and Wi-Fi extenders. How We Chose The Best Laptops For College To determine the best laptops for college, we drew on our own expertise and researched both various laptop features and extensive consumer feedback. Here's how we chose the best laptops for college. What To Consider When Choosing The Best Laptop for College A college laptop should make it easier to handle coursework not just in your dorm room, but in lecture halls, the library and more. However, depending on your major, you may want to prioritize different features to find the best laptop for college for your needs. Here's what you should consider when choosing the best laptop for college. One of the first decisions is your preferred operating system: macOS or Windows. Many universities support both, but specialized software—like CAD software, Adobe Photoshop and more—may run more smoothly on Windows. Conversely, creative apps such as Apple's Final Cut Pro are exclusive to macOS software. Consider which ecosystem you're already invested in (iCloud, OneDrive, Google Workspace) and whether you'll need Windows emulators like Boot Camp, Nvidia GeForce Now cloud streaming (if you're a gamer) and more. A laptop's performance truly hinges on its processor, or the 'brain' of a laptop. Whether you choose an Intel Core, AMD Ryzen series, or Apple's M series chips, newer generations deliver faster response times, quicker AI simulations and can easily handle seamless multitasking. 'As a former engineering student, I didn't make much use of my computer beyond basic essay writing and spreadsheets for the first year or so of my degree,' shares Turner, who said as you continue through your college career, your processing needs will significantly increase. 'As I delved more into my major-specific courses though, I found myself needing to run code editors, computer-aided design (CAD) software, and more that needed plenty of processing and graphics power.' If you're looking at an Intel Core, the Intel Core 7 tops our list for its balance of performance and price, while AMD 300 AI Series is equally powerful. Keep in mind that you can go higher, too, and hit up to an Intel Core 9 series for intensive applications. For Apple, look for the minimum of an M4 chip, and plan to spend more if you plan to use more powerful applications. For many majors, a graphics chip may feel secondary, but your major involves 3D modeling, video editing or gaming, a powerful chip is a necessity. Integrated Intel Arc or Apple's unified GPU handles everyday tasks and light photo work, while dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX or AMD Radeon GPUs truly shine for rendering and engineering simulations. 'GPUs accelerate most of the top tools used in STEM and digital media programs, and they also enhance performance in AI applications, which are becoming increasingly common for research and study aids across many majors,' shares Jesse Clayton, director of product for PC AI and STEM at Nvidia. 'When these students come to school with a laptop that includes a powerful GPU, they'll be able to accelerate key applications used in their classes on their own devices,' he adds. Plus, if you're a college student who plans to game, they are also a must-have for AAA gaming titles. Match your graphics choice to your workload: Choose integrated for casual research browsing and note-taking, and choose a dedicated graphics card for creative or STEM-intensive applications. Since you'll be staring at your screen for hours of lectures and late-night study sessions, display quality matters. OLED panels offer deep contrast and vibrant colors—which is very important for media majors for graphics and engineering students—whereas LCDs are suitable for most other majors. A 14-inch or larger display helps reduce eye strain and provides room for split-screen multitasking, but many of the picks on our list offer 16-inch display options should you need more working space. Whether you're catching the campus bus or walking to the library or class, odds are you'll be constantly on the move around school grounds—so keeping your laptop lightweight is important. Most of my picks weigh under four pounds, with 13- to 14-inch models hitting the sweet spot of screen real estate, and some are as lightweight as 2.5 pounds. Additionally, that 13- to 14-inch model tucks nicely into a backpack along with your books. While you can opt for a 15-inch laptop with a dedicated GPU, it might weigh more, so just be mindful to balance power with back comfort. A reliable battery can last through back-to-back lectures, study sessions and group meetings without worrying about the dreaded 'low battery' notification. 'Powerful specs are great, but they tend to also drain battery life faster,' shares Turner, who recommends a balance of raw power and battery life. 'The last thing a student needs is to be searching around a classroom for a wall outlet to keep their device powered on while listening to a lecture. Consider looking for devices with 'all-day' battery life or a battery life that will otherwise go beyond the amount of time you may be away from a power source,' Turner adds. While eight to ten hours may cover a typical day, aim for 12+ hours to accommodate long library marathons or all-nighter write-ups. Chromebooks and MacBook Airs are often the best in battery life, whereas high-powered gaming laptops may dip below the eight-hour mark under load. That said, my top pick, the Asus Zenbook S 14 Touch Copilot+ PC Laptop, can last hours from a socket, too. You'll likely have to connect projectors, external monitors, USB drives and much more in your labs or classrooms. Look for a mix of USB-C, USB-A and HDMI ports as well as a headphone jack. Some models can also include SD card readers, which is geared toward photography or media majors. If you choose a slim MacBook or ultraportable without enough ports, plan on adding a compact docking station or dongle to connect all your peripherals. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What Is The Best Laptop For A School? Based on my testing and research, I found the Asus Zenbook S 14 Touch Copilot+ PC Laptop is the best laptop for college overall. It has a well-balanced blend of performance, portability, battery life and more. Is Dell Or HP Better For College Students? It depends on your needs. While the Dell 14 Plus is our best value pick, I tested plenty of HP devices that are worth your consideration, including the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip Copilot+ PC laptop. It boils down to are your brand preferences, as both companies offer powerful processors, plenty of RAM and storage and long battery life. How Powerful Of A Laptop Do I Need For College? It depends on your major. English majors can easily spend four years with lighter processing power and smaller storage capacities. Engineering students, on the other hand, will need a more powerful processor. 'If you need to prioritize specifications, do so for three things: CPU, RAM, and battery life,' shares Turner. 'These are the three things that are going to make or break your experience with the device over years of use.'
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Your kid is using AI for homework. Now what?
AI FacebookTweetLink Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. When your kids head back to school, there's a good chance they plan to use artificial intelligence to get their schoolwork done. Twenty-six percent of teenagers ages 13 to 17 said they had used ChatGPT for their schoolwork in a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. AI chatbots have become more prevalent since then, so the number may be higher now. As a professor, I have a word for when students ask chatbots to write their papers: It's called cheating. Most importantly, it cheats them out of an opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, it's easy for kids to get away with doing this because tools for detecting AI-generated content aren't reliable. So when educators grade papers, we can't always tell whether it was used or not. That's why it's so important for parents to talk to their kids about when they should — and shouldn't — use AI this school year. 'Make sure they're using AI as a learning tool instead of a shortcut,' said Robbie Torney, senior director for AI programs at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that advocates for healthy media options for children. Here's how to do that. First, talk to kids about why their goal should be 'to learn and grow,' Torney said. If AI does their work for them, it 'takes away that opportunity.' However, AI can help them learn. Torney suggested using it as a tutor. 'It can be great for explaining difficult concepts or helping them get unstuck, but original thinking and work should be theirs,' he said. AI can also help brainstorm ideas, Torney said, but then students should do the thinking and writing on their own. It's important to explain why these rules are important. 'Our brains are like a muscle,' Torney said. 'Kids won't learn skills unless they practice them.' It's ideal to agree on these boundaries before children use AI, Torney said, but then 'check in regularly' to make sure AI tools aren't replacing their learning. Chatbots tell users things that aren't true. It's called hallucinating, and it happens all the time. Other times, chatbots just miss things. For example, recently my students submitted papers about (what else?) AI. A number of them were uncannily similar, which always rings alarm bells in my head that AI could have generated them. In this case, multiple students falsely asserted there isn't any federal legislation to help victims of nude deepfakes — even though the Take It Down Act became law in May. So it's important not to accept AI answers at face value but to teach kids how to fact-check the information they receive. One way to do so, Torney said, is to take materials they get at school — on, say, the subject of photosynthesis — and compare those facts with what chatbots tell them about it. It's great to do this experimenting together. And parents shouldn't feel intimidated about doing this because they don't fully understand how AI works. Most people don't. 'You don't have to be an AI expert to help your kids use AI wisely, and staying involved in asking questions and doing the exploration together can teach them the skills that they'll need for the future,' Torney said. That's important because, like it or not, chatbots are probably here to stay. 'Accessing information through AI interfaces is going to become increasingly common for kids,' Torney said, 'the same way that accessing information online has already become common for kids.' It's also important to teach kids that they shouldn't get personal advice from chatbots or share private information with them. It's easy for kids to forget AI chatbots are technology, Torney said. 'We know that younger children often can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, making them more likely to think that AI is a real person or a friend,' he said. One concern is that chatbots, which are trained to conduct romantic conversations, could engage in sexual talk with kids. It could also give them bad advice, encourage harmful thinking or even come to replace relationships with other people. So, it's a good idea to remind children that AI isn't human. If a chatbot gives an answer that could make it seem like it's not, Torney said parents can say something like, 'Did you notice how the AI said, 'I like your idea?' That's just programming. The AI doesn't think anything about your idea.' Kids could also inadvertently make private information public through chatbots, Torney warned. If a child uploads a picture of your house and the system uses it as part of a training set, it could be shown to other users, he said. It's therefore important to talk about why they should never share personal information with AI tools. Finally, set clear family rules for when chatbots are used. Consider allowing kids to use chatbots in places such as the family room, but not in bedrooms where they can't be supervised, Torney said. And establish tech-free times — such as during meals and before bed — when no one is on technology, he suggested. Your kids are probably going to try to use AI to help with their schoolwork — if they haven't already. Chatbots have become so ubiquitous that understanding how to use them is a life skill for our children. That's why we should teach kids to use AI to help them learn, not to do their work for them — and to question everything chatbots tell them. One way to teach this is by using chatbots together. Kids should also know that they shouldn't turn to AI platforms for advice. Even if they sound human, they aren't real — but the consequences of letting AI get in the way of their learning certainly would be.
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Your kid is using AI for homework. Now what?
Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. When your kids head back to school, there's a good chance they plan to use artificial intelligence to get their schoolwork done. Twenty-six percent of teenagers ages 13 to 17 said they had used ChatGPT for their schoolwork in a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. AI chatbots have become more prevalent since then, so the number may be higher now. As a professor, I have a word for when students ask chatbots to write their papers: It's called cheating. Most importantly, it cheats them out of an opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, it's easy for kids to get away with doing this because tools for detecting AI-generated content aren't reliable. So when educators grade papers, we can't always tell whether it was used or not. That's why it's so important for parents to talk to their kids about when they should — and shouldn't — use AI this school year. 'Make sure they're using AI as a learning tool instead of a shortcut,' said Robbie Torney, senior director for AI programs at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that advocates for healthy media options for children. Here's how to do that. First, talk to kids about why their goal should be 'to learn and grow,' Torney said. If AI does their work for them, it 'takes away that opportunity.' However, AI can help them learn. Torney suggested using it as a tutor. 'It can be great for explaining difficult concepts or helping them get unstuck, but original thinking and work should be theirs,' he said. AI can also help brainstorm ideas, Torney said, but then students should do the thinking and writing on their own. It's important to explain why these rules are important. 'Our brains are like a muscle,' Torney said. 'Kids won't learn skills unless they practice them.' It's ideal to agree on these boundaries before children use AI, Torney said, but then 'check in regularly' to make sure AI tools aren't replacing their learning. Chatbots tell users things that aren't true. It's called hallucinating, and it happens all the time. Other times, chatbots just miss things. For example, recently my students submitted papers about (what else?) AI. A number of them were uncannily similar, which always rings alarm bells in my head that AI could have generated them. In this case, multiple students falsely asserted there isn't any federal legislation to help victims of nude deepfakes — even though the Take It Down Act became law in May. So it's important not to accept AI answers at face value but to teach kids how to fact-check the information they receive. One way to do so, Torney said, is to take materials they get at school — on, say, the subject of photosynthesis — and compare those facts with what chatbots tell them about it. It's great to do this experimenting together. And parents shouldn't feel intimidated about doing this because they don't fully understand how AI works. Most people don't. 'You don't have to be an AI expert to help your kids use AI wisely, and staying involved in asking questions and doing the exploration together can teach them the skills that they'll need for the future,' Torney said. That's important because, like it or not, chatbots are probably here to stay. 'Accessing information through AI interfaces is going to become increasingly common for kids,' Torney said, 'the same way that accessing information online has already become common for kids.' It's also important to teach kids that they shouldn't get personal advice from chatbots or share private information with them. It's easy for kids to forget AI chatbots are technology, Torney said. 'We know that younger children often can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, making them more likely to think that AI is a real person or a friend,' he said. One concern is that chatbots, which are trained to conduct romantic conversations, could engage in sexual talk with kids. It could also give them bad advice, encourage harmful thinking or even come to replace relationships with other people. So, it's a good idea to remind children that AI isn't human. If a chatbot gives an answer that could make it seem like it's not, Torney said parents can say something like, 'Did you notice how the AI said, 'I like your idea?' That's just programming. The AI doesn't think anything about your idea.' Kids could also inadvertently make private information public through chatbots, Torney warned. If a child uploads a picture of your house and the system uses it as part of a training set, it could be shown to other users, he said. It's therefore important to talk about why they should never share personal information with AI tools. Finally, set clear family rules for when chatbots are used. Consider allowing kids to use chatbots in places such as the family room, but not in bedrooms where they can't be supervised, Torney said. And establish tech-free times — such as during meals and before bed — when no one is on technology, he suggested. Your kids are probably going to try to use AI to help with their schoolwork — if they haven't already. Chatbots have become so ubiquitous that understanding how to use them is a life skill for our children. That's why we should teach kids to use AI to help them learn, not to do their work for them — and to question everything chatbots tell them. One way to teach this is by using chatbots together. Kids should also know that they shouldn't turn to AI platforms for advice. Even if they sound human, they aren't real — but the consequences of letting AI get in the way of their learning certainly would be.
