AI Safety for Kids: News for Parents, Oct 2026
The short version: state attorneys general are pressing for stronger protections for children on AI chatbot platforms, Congress has not passed new kids-and-AI rules, and your state, your child's school and your family's own rules matter most right now. Below is what changed this week, with sources, and what you can do about it.
40 attorneys general push for child protections in the Character.AI bankruptcy
On October 14, New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other attorneys general filed in the bankruptcy case of Character Technologies, the company behind Character.AI. They asked the court, the company and any buyer to make sure that children and their private conversations are protected in any sale. Read the New York Attorney General's announcement.
According to that announcement, the platform has more than 20 million monthly users, including more than two million accounts registered by users who say they are under 18. The filing cites independent testing that found 669 harmful interactions in 50 hours on accounts registered as ages 12 to 15, and says the company's under-18 restrictions are easy to get around. These are the attorneys general's allegations, not court findings.
New York already requires AI companion companies to take reasonable steps to detect and respond to expressions of suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and to remind users at the start of each conversation, and at least every three hours, that they are talking to AI.
What it means for your family: treat a chatbot that plays a character or a friend differently from a homework helper, and ask your child what they talk about with it. Melissa Wagner, child safety and advocacy director at Geisinger, reminds families that "prompts may be stored or reviewed by companies."
Congress: kids' AI bills have stalled for now
On August 5, the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance several child online safety bills, including the CHATBOT Act, the Youth AI Privacy Act, the Children's Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act and the Kids Online Safety Act. According to the nonprofit Children and Screens, Congress then took no further action on them during its brief September session and adjourned for its October recess.
The practical takeaway: do not wait for a federal law. Protection today comes from state laws, school policies and what you set up at home.
What schools are doing about phones and AI
Children and Screens reports that 45 states and Washington, D.C. now have policies on smartphone use in K-12 schools, and 22 states plus D.C. have bell-to-bell bans. More than half of states have issued AI guidance for K-12 schools, with California, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah and Vermont named as having the most comprehensive policies. Los Angeles Unified has banned screen time, with some exceptions, for grades 2 and below.
Details are often left to districts and individual schools, so ask your child's school two questions: What is the rule on using AI for homework? And which AI tools does the school itself use with students?
College-bound teens: what the rules say about AI in application essays
The Common App fraud policy, last updated in August 2023, lists as fraud intentionally presenting as your own work the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform. Colleges set their own lines. Cornell says that ethical uses include researching colleges, brainstorming essay topics and checking the grammar and spelling of a completed essay, while using AI to outline, draft or write essays, or to translate an essay written in another language, is unethical.
Check the admissions page of every college on your teen's list before they use any AI tool on an application.
Your AI safety checklist for this week
These steps come from Geisinger's six tips for AI and internet safety:
Agree on a family technology plan: when, where and how devices are used. Keep younger children's internet and AI use in shared spaces.
Approve new apps, games and AI tools before they are installed, and read the age ratings and privacy policies together.
Tell your child not to type personal details, such as full name, address, school or location, into an AI tool.
Teach one habit: just because something looks or sounds real does not mean it is. Check AI answers against reliable sources.
Ask regularly which apps and AI tools your child uses, and listen without judgment.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe for my child to use AI chatbots?
There is no single age when every child is ready. Geisinger advises looking at your child's maturity, impulse control and ability to follow rules, along with how closely you can supervise, and starting with strong privacy settings and close supervision.
Can my child use AI for homework?
Follow your school's rule first. With guidance, AI can give homework hints and adaptive practice, but Geisinger also lists using AI to cheat on schoolwork as a risk. Talk with your child about the difference between getting help and getting the work done for them.
Can my teen use ChatGPT for a college essay?
It depends on the college. The Common App treats presenting AI output as your own work as fraud, and Cornell allows brainstorming and a grammar check of a finished essay but not drafting. Check each school's policy.
Helping your child use AI well
At EasySkills Academy, kids and teens learn coding, math and AI skills in live online lessons, one-on-one or in small groups. The easiest way to see whether it fits your child is a free trial lesson: your child meets the teacher and tries the format, with no commitment. You can also browse our coding courses for kids.
Updated October 22, 2026. Sources: New York Attorney General (Oct 14, 2026), Children and Screens Policy Update (Oct 2026), Geisinger (Oct 12, 2026), Common App fraud policy, Cornell Undergraduate Admissions.
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