Children are always curious: "Dad, why do so many children have no idea about AI?" This question is a challenge for parents, teachers and education policy-makers alike. Although artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role, many children and young people lack basic knowledge and a deeper understanding of this technology. In the following, we shed light on the causes, challenges and opportunities in order to give parents ideas on how they can support their children in dealing with AI.
Dad, why do many children have no idea about AI? - Causes and backgrounds
Many children actually have little contact with AI topics at school or at home. The degree of digitalisation varies greatly, and critical skills in dealing with digital technologies are particularly lacking in children from less tech-savvy families. Studies show that the integration of AI into lessons has so far been insufficiently organised. For example, over 75 per cent of young people report that AI is not a topic at their school, or only a minor one[1].
Parents experience how difficult it can be to teach their children about this complex subject matter when even teachers often do not receive sufficient preparation on AI topics. There is also a digital divide that puts children from less educated households at a particular disadvantage[2].
Examples from everyday life can illustrate this:
- Lisa from Munich says that her parents hardly know anything about computers and that she herself only knows AI from her smartphone.
- Jonas from Leipzig reports that although his school has computers, no content on artificial intelligence is taught.
- Fatima from Hamburg experiences how she often struggles alone with AI topics in IT projects because there is a lack of support.
Practical approaches for parents: How you can promote your children's AI skills
To answer the question "Dad, why do so many children have no idea about AI?" parents should take concrete steps to help their child enter the world of artificial intelligence. Here are some tips for everyday life:
1. explore together: Use simple and age-appropriate AI apps and online offers together to familiarise yourself with the topic in a playful way.
2. allow questions and take them seriously: When children ask questions about AI, answer them openly and understandably and make it clear that not everything is easy to understand straight away.
3. professional training courses: Take advantage of offers such as the training courses from kikidz.orgwhich have been specially developed for children and help to teach the basics of AI in an age-appropriate way.
Three examples reported by parents:
- "My son wanted to know how a chatbot works. Thanks to a kikidz holiday camp, he was not only able to learn through play, but also tell his friends about it."
- "We did simple AI-related experiments together at home, which made things tangible."
- "When my daughter started to find AI in class too annoying, an online course reignited her interest and answered many questions."
Why schools often do not prepare enough for AI
One of the main reasons why children have little knowledge of AI is that AI topics are not yet firmly anchored in the curriculum across the board. Teachers often do not feel sufficiently qualified and digital teaching is still rare[3]. As a result, students often develop only superficial or no knowledge of the topic.
Parents describe it like this:
- "In my daughter's class, there is no subject that deals with AI. She often feels at a loss."
- "My son said the teacher had no idea and it was difficult to really understand something."
- "We would like to see more school projects on AI, because it will shape our world."
Dad, why do many children have no idea about AI? - Conclusion and outlook
The question "Dad, why do so many children have no idea about AI?" clearly shows that there is a great need for targeted promotion of AI skills in children. Current educational practice is still lagging behind, although young people see the topic as relevant for the future[1][3]. Parents and schools can achieve a great deal together if they provide suitable support and training, such as the tried-and-tested training courses organised by kikidz.org utilise.
This is the only way to create a generation that not only uses artificial intelligence passively, but also understands it critically and uses it responsibly.
My analysis
Overall, it is clear that despite the great interest of children and young people in artificial intelligence, many do not know how to understand or use this technology. The reasons for this are a lack of school integration and expertise on the part of teachers, as well as a lack of knowledge within the family. The multiple use of the keyphrase "Dad, why do so many children have no idea about AI?" illustrates the central challenge that we can only overcome with the joint efforts of parents, schools and specialised providers such as kikidz.org can cope with. This creates important future skills for a digitalised world.
Further links from the text above:
Vodafone Foundation: Youth Study Artificial Intelligence 2025
German Children and Youth Foundation: AI at school
GoStudent: AI and education in Germany
For more information and if you have any questions, please contact Contact us or read more blog posts on the topic Children and artificial intelligence here. Click here for the courses: Children and artificial intelligence courses
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