AI chatbots feel friendly and helpful. But they are not like writing in a diary — they are more like talking to a company. Here is what every child (and parent) needs to know about privacy with AI.

The Big Difference: AI vs a Diary

Your diary is truly private. An AI conversation is stored on company servers, potentially reviewed by staff, and in most cases, used to improve the AI system. Even when a service says "conversations are not used for training," they are still stored somewhere.

The Red List: Never Share These

  • 🚫 Full name + school + town together (the combination is identifying)
  • 🚫 Home address or postcode
  • 🚫 Passwords, PINs or account details
  • 🚫 Phone number or parent's phone
  • 🚫 ID details (passport, driving licence)
  • 🚫 Photos that include your face, school uniform or location clues
  • 🚫 Details about friends without their knowledge
  • 🚫 Anything you would not say in front of your teacher or parent

The Green List: Generally Safe to Share

  • ✅ Your first name only
  • ✅ Your age or school year level
  • ✅ Creative writing, stories or poems you wrote
  • ✅ Homework topics or school subjects
  • ✅ Questions about any educational topic
  • ✅ Your interests and hobbies (without location details)

What to Do If AI Asks for Personal Info

Legitimate AI tools never need your real name, school name or address to help you. If any AI tool (or a person using AI to communicate) asks for this information, stop and tell a trusted adult immediately.

The Scam Risk: Fake AI Chatbots

Some websites create fake chatbots that look like real AI but are actually designed to collect personal information. Always use AI tools from well-known companies (Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft) and avoid clicking links to unknown AI chat services.

Family Activity: The Privacy Quiz

Go through these scenarios with your child and decide: safe or not safe to share?

  • "My cat is named Whiskers." → ✅ Safe
  • "I go to St. Mary's Primary School in Liverpool." → ⚠️ Risky if combined with name
  • "My address is 42 Oak Street." → 🚫 Never
  • "I am writing a story about a time-travelling astronaut." → ✅ Safe

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