I am not 100%, but I am definitely doing better than last week. Thank you for giving me a little grace while I rested.

Now, let’s talk about what is happening in the world of AI for kids. This week was a little more chill in the AI for Kids world. Maybe folks are easing into summer.

A few states moved to put guidance in place around AI in schools, AI toys, and chatbots. And a global children’s organization raised its hand and said, very clearly, that the risks are real.

We also have a new AI for Kids podcast episode out this week, so check it out on your car ride, while you are folding laundry, or while the kids are pretending not to listen from the back seat:

I also joined Dia Adams on the AI Table podcast to talk about why screens may not be the real problem, or at least not the whole problem. The bigger question may be what is happening behind the screen.

Let's get into this week’s news.

To mark International Children's Day, UNICEF Vietnam warned that fast-moving AI is creating new dangers for children online, on top of older problems like cyberbullying. The group pointed to AI being used to create fake, harmful images of children and noted that kids who lack support online face the greatest risk. UNICEF also stressed that the same technology can help children learn and build future skills when it's used with care.

What parents and teachers need to know: I love that this warning came with both hands open. AI isn't all danger, and it isn't all wonder. It's a tool, and the children who do best are the ones who have a trusted grown-up to talk to about what they see. You don't need to be a tech expert to be that person. You just need to be reachable. Make sure your kids know they can bring anything strange or scary they see online straight to you.

Maryland’s AI Ready Schools Act went into effect on June 1. The law requires the state education department to create AI guidance and best practices for K–12 schools. It also calls for AI literacy to be added to workforce preparation and computer science standards by June 2027.

What parents and teachers need to know: Whether you are in Maryland or Wisconsin, ask your school what AI tools are allowed, what is off limits, and how students will learn to check AI instead of just trusting it.

On June 2, Connecticut signed a new law focused on youth online safety, social media, and AI. The law includes protections around addictive algorithmic feeds for minors and requires AI chatbot operators to make reasonable efforts to detect signs of self-harm and respond with appropriate resources.

What parents and teachers need to know: This is a reminder that AI safety is not just about cheating on homework. It is also about emotional safety, privacy, attention, and what happens when a child treats a chatbot like a trusted person.

New York lawmakers passed a bill aimed at protecting minors from harmful features in AI chatbots, with both the Senate and Assembly approving it with bipartisan support. The bill does not ban chatbots for children outright. Instead, it targets design features that can lead to emotional dependency or harmful behavior, such as bots that simulate companionship in ways that blur the line between a machine and a real, feeling person. The bill now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul, and if signed, would take effect at the start of next year.

What parents and teachers need to know: The key word here is companionship. A chatbot that acts like a best friend is designed to keep your child coming back. Ask your kids if any app or character they talk to ever acts like a buddy. You're not trying to take it away. You're trying to help them notice the difference between a tool that's helpful and a tool that's pretending to be a friend.

The New York Legislature advanced a bill that would place a five-year pause on selling AI chatbot toys to young children, giving researchers time to study how these toys affect kids before they spread further. The concern is that toys built to talk back and act like a companion are landing in little hands faster than anyone has studied them. The pause would let experts build smart protections first, and lawmakers could later decide whether to extend it or allow sales with new rules. California also has a proposal that would pause the sale of certain AI companion chatbot toys for children.

What parents and teachers need to know: A toy that "talks" can feel magical to a small child, and that's exactly why it's powerful. (I talk about this with Dia Adams on the AI Table podcast.) Young kids don't yet have the wiring to know that the voice isn't real. If a talking AI toy comes into your home, sit with your child while they play with it at first, the same way you'd watch them near a pool.

A family card game that helps kids understand that AI is a tool, but the future still needs builders, fixers, makers, and real-world problem solvers. Inspired by the AI for Kids episode with Archie D. Nettles, Jr., where he reminds kids: “Keep dreaming, keep building, and keep fixing because the world is not inherited, it’s built.”

What You Need: index cards, a pen, a small bowl or hat, and 20 minutes.

On separate index cards, write one real-world problem per card. Aim for 8–10.

Examples:

On 4 separate cards, write one category each: Tool, Tech, Trade Hero, Human Judgment. Put these in the bowl.

Kids practice seeing the difference between tools, technology, skilled workers, and human judgment. It reinforces the big lesson from the episode: AI can help, but the world still needs people who can think, build, fix, and solve real problems.

A toy that can talk back is not just a toy anymore. A chatbot that acts like a friend is not just a question box. A feed that keeps a child scrolling longer than they meant to is not just entertainment. These are designed experiences, and kids are running into them before they have the words to explain what is happening.

Parents and teachers are being asked to protect kids from systems they did not build, cannot fully see, and often do not get clear information about until something goes wrong. That is not fair. So yes, we need better laws, better defaults, and companies to stop acting surprised when children use the products they put in front of children.

But while the grown-ups in charge catch up, the conversations still have to happen at home and in classrooms. Talk to the littles in your life and ask questions like: What would you do if a chatbot asked you for your address? Why do you think that video kept playing? How would you know if an AI answer was wrong?

AI literacy grows when adults stay close enough to help kids name what they are seeing, question what they are using, and remember that their brain is still in charge.

See you next week,

Amber Ivey (AI)