Is ChatGPT Safe for Kids?

Introduction

You may have heard the entire world is jumping on the chatGPT bandwagon, and you might wonder what even ChatGPT is and why I should know about it. Well, this article is here to cover all this and more.

If you are a young, curious mind or a concerned parent, after reading this article you will get a clear idea of the potential risks and multiple benefits of generative AI, aka ChatGPT.

Let’s begin!

What is ChatGPT, anyway?

You must have heard of artificial intelligence. Basically, it is the field of study of computer sciences that develops and studies intelligent machines.

And this is where ChatGPT comes in; it is an artificial intelligence tool. AI chatbots such as ChatGPT answer any questions you may have, using the knowledge it has gathered from the internet and human interaction. It can answer simple and complex questions, though not always with 100% accuracy.

Simply put, ChatGPT is a super-smart computer program that can have conversations with people, just like you chatting with friends.

You have to go to the ChatGPT site and type in whatever you want. It can carry on any conversation with you and become your digital pen pal. Also, it can remember all the conversations you ever had and continue them later.

Accounts on ChatGPT are free, and you just need an account to sign up. It specifically doesn’t ask you to put in your age when you sign up. This makes it easy for kids and teens to access.

What can ChatGPT do?

Trust me when I say the ChatGPT can do pretty much everything. The list is long and infinite, possibly. But here are a few things that ChatGPT is mostly used for:

1. Answer any and all questions
2. Solve math problems and numerical
3. Give you someone (or something) to talk to when you’re lonely
4. Look up facts and figures
5. All-in-one digital buddy
6. Explain complicated concepts like the big bang theory
7. Write poems, reports, essays, and rap
8. Provide ideas for decorating, party themes, and more
9. Tell jokes and riddles
10. Help with Homework

Whew! It seems like chatGPT is a tough competition to Google, Siri, and Alexa. Now that you know what an asset ChatGPT is, let’s discuss the limitations and downside of this AI chatbot.

What can’t ChatGPT do?

While ChatGPT is all powerful and mighty, there are several limitations to what it can do:

1. Lack of Real Understanding of Context
2. No Personal Experience or Emotion
3. Limited to Training Data as it doesn’t have access to real-time information or events occurring after its last update (in my case, September 2021).
4. Potential for Bias
5. Cannot Provide Personalized Advice
6. No Creativity or Critical Thinking
7. Inability to Predict the Future
8. No Moral or Ethical Judgment
9. It can generate harmful content or engage in unethical activities.
10. Can Generate Incorrect Information

Well, we all know now that it’s essential to use ChatGPT and similar AI models responsibly, recognizing their limitations and using them as tools to complement human judgment and expertise rather than as replacements for it.

Is ChatGPT safe for kids?

Now, before we jump into this discussion, let’s ask ChatGPT itself what it thinks about kids using ChatGPT.

This response from ChatGPT is reasonable enough. But here are some nuances that parents must know before they hand over ChatGPT to their kids.

1. ChatGPT has been trained on data from a wide range of topics. Some of them may be inappropriate for children.
2. ChatGPT was trained with content generated by humans, so it can have biased and wrong information.
3. OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT) records conversations to help improve and train the AI chatbot, so make sure your kids know that nothing they tell ChatGPT is private.
4. You should know that using AI-generated content for essays and other homework is cheating. Learning from ChatGPT is okay, but using it to do your work for you isn’t since you don’t learn anything. Plagiarism is a real issue.

Apart from this, ChatGPT has offered numerous benefits to a child’s learning and development, as acknowledged by experts in the field.

By engaging with ChatGPT, children have the opportunity to enhance their critical thinking abilities, boost creativity, and cultivate important executive functions. They can also learn a new language, play games, and get help with schoolwork.

So, in the end, it is the parents’ decision to introduce the world of AI to their children and what role it plays in their lives.

How do we keep kids on the right track?

People say that Artificial is the future and embracing this technology is the right thing to do. If this is true, then parents should consider taking precautionary measures if they intend to permit their child to use ChatGPT.

You can also prompt the chatbot to use kid-friendly replies. It will be helpful if you get involved while your kid is using the tool; they’ll gain more knowledge and benefit from learning how to use ChatGPT if you walk them through the steps and give them some ideas.

Conclusion

ChatGPT is not just an AI chatbot; it’s like having a trusty digital companion who can do so much! From answering questions to playing games, sparking your creativity, and keeping you company, ChatGPT is here to make your days more exciting and enjoyable.

But remember, while ChatGPT is fun and helpful, it’s essential to use it responsibly and safely. Always have a grown-up nearby to guide you and ensure your online experiences are positive and educational.

Other than that, you can always learn something new about AI, and data Science from Codingal. Codingal’s coding courses are designed to make kids fall in love with coding and technology. Book a free class and see for yourself.