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Is an AI tutor safe for my child? A parent's checklist

CMDLearn ·

Your child has probably already used AI. Maybe to finish a homework question, maybe on a cousin's phone, maybe through a study app that added a chat box last month. And now you are being offered "AI tutors" from every direction.

The honest answer to "is it safe?" is: it depends on the tool, and on how it is used. Some AI tools are built for children, with limits and an adult watching. Many are general chatbots built for adults, with a child simply typing into them.

Hindi mein padhna hai? यह गाइड हिन्दी में पढ़ें.

This checklist helps you tell the difference. You do not need to understand how AI works to use it. You only need to ask ten questions, and notice which ones the company cannot answer.

First, what the experts actually say

Two things worth knowing before the checklist.

UNESCO, the UN's education agency, published guidance on generative AI in education in 2023. It sets an age limit of 13 for the use of AI tools in the classroom. Our advice, not UNESCO's: an adult should check what these tools tell a child. That does not mean a younger child can never touch an AI tool. It means a young child should not be left alone with an open chatbot.

India's data protection law, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, treats anyone under 18 as a child. It requires an app to get verifiable consent from a parent before processing a child's personal data, and it bars tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising aimed at children. The detailed rules were notified in November 2025, and most of the obligations, including the ones about children, come into force in stages over the following 18 months (by about May 2027). In other words: the protections are written down, but some apps may not have caught up yet. Do not assume an app is following them. Check.

The checklist

Go through these with any AI tutor, study app or chatbot your child is about to use. You can do it by reading the app's website, its privacy policy, and by trying it yourself for ten minutes.

1. Does it stay on topic?

A tutor for Class 5 Maths should talk about Class 5 Maths. Try asking it something off-topic, like a film star's gossip or something you would not want a ten-year-old reading about. A tool built for children should politely refuse and bring the conversation back. An open chatbot will usually just answer.

2. Does it match your child's age?

What is fine for a Class 9 student is not fine for a Class 2 child. Look for whether the app asks for the child's class or age band and changes what it allows. One setting for everyone from age 6 to 60 is a warning sign.

3. Does it teach, or just give answers?

Ask it a homework question. Does it hand over the final answer straight away, or does it ask your child what they already know, give a hint, and check understanding? A tool that does the homework for your child is convenient tonight and costly at exam time.

4. Does it admit when it might be wrong?

All AI tools make mistakes, sometimes with total confidence. Try asking it a question where you know the answer. Then tell it, politely, that it is wrong when it is actually right. A well-built tutor should hold its ground on facts and show its working. A weak one will agree with whatever you say.

5. Can you see what your child asked and what it said back?

This is one of the most important questions. You, or the teacher, should be able to look back at the conversation. If nobody can see what an AI told a child, nobody can catch a problem.

6. What happens if your child says something worrying?

Children sometimes tell a chatbot things they would not tell an adult: that they are being bullied, that they are scared, that they feel unsafe. Ask the company directly: what does the app do if my child says something like that? A good answer names a person who is told and a clear next step. "The AI responds supportively" is not enough on its own.

7. What data does it collect, and why?

Read the privacy policy, or at least search it for these words: voice, photo, location, contacts, advertising, third party, sell. A tutor needs very little: a first name or nickname, a class, and what your child has practised. It does not need your child's photo, school name, address or phone contacts. Ask: what is each piece of data for, and when is it deleted?

8. Did it ask you for consent?

Under the DPDP Act, consent for a child's data should come from the parent, in a way the company can verify. If your child could sign up alone by typing any age, the company has not taken this seriously yet.

9. Are there ads, or nudges to keep using it?

Targeted advertising aimed at children is prohibited under the Act. Also watch for design tricks: endless streaks, pop-ups that guilt the child into "one more", reward coins that only make sense if they keep tapping. Learning tools should be easy to stop.

10. Who is the company, and can you reach a human?

Is there a real email address? A named organisation? A way to report a problem and get an answer? If the only contact option is a chatbot, that tells you something.

A few things for Indian homes

How to use AI with your child, even when the tool passes

A safe tool is only half of it. The other half is how it is used at home.

The short version

Print this, or save it on your phone:

Stays on topic. Fits the age. Teaches, not tells. Admits mistakes. Adults can see the chat. A person is told if something is wrong. Collects little. Asks the parent. No ads. A human to contact.

If a tool fails two or more of these, wait. There will be better options.

Sources

This article is general information for parents, not legal or medical advice. If you are worried about your child's screen use, sleep or mood, talk to your paediatrician.

CMDLearn is building an AI tutor for Classes 1 to 10 with these rules designed in from the start. It is still in development, and no child uses it yet. If you would like to hear when there is something to try, you can join the waitlist.