As a youth lawyer and a parent of three, I’m constantly trying to shield teens from harm. I work to protect high-potential kids from the consequences of a serious mistake, which can haunt them for years. Social media, the internet, and texting are my nemeses because they give teens a larger platform to broadcast their misdeeds, putting them in law enforcement’s crosshairs. Those same platforms also make kids more vulnerable to harm from bullying and sexting.
AI is exposing these kids to even more dangers, despite its many benefits. Consider these findings from the Center for Democracy and Technology, which surveyed about 1,000 ninth through 12th graders, 1,000 parents, and 800 sixth through 12th grade public school teachers and found:
- Twenty percent of the teens have been romantically involved with AI, or are
acquainted with someone who has been. - There is a relationship between “higher levels of AI use in schools” and “increased exposure to data breaches, troubling interactions between students and AI, and AI-generated deepfakes, or manipulated photos that … [could] be used to sexually harass and bully students.” (National Public Radio)
Balancing Risks and Benefits
How can parents capitalize on AI’s advantages despite risks like these? Like so much
about teen parenting, it’s a balancing act. Local schools and administrators agree. For example, the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology “sees as a common goal that all students…have a baseline understanding of AI…” to help them prepare for college and careers. At the same time, the commission issues numerous warnings about the technology’s pitfalls.
The risks of cheating and plagiarism using AI loom large. The Fairfield Public Schools will take disciplinary action, “including but not limited to suspension and expulsion,” against students who present or copy another individual’s work as their own.
It’s tempting for stressed, overscheduled teens to ask AI to do their writing. But when AI,
as “another individual,” composes a paper or completes a teen’s homework, it’s easy for teachers to sniff it out. Great instructors know their own students, and when an essay doesn’t sound like them, they’ll take a second look. Using lots of metaphors, “surfacy” treatment of subject matter, or writing that is just too polished are clues that the work might not be original. When teachers are still not sure, they’ll also turn to AI detection tools like Turnitin and GPTZero.
Students who cite AI’s “footnotes” and references without checking them set themselves up
for suspicion, too. AI can get them wrong or publish erroneous information. Warn your
kids not to fall into the trap of unconditional trust in AI under any circumstances. Even a few outliers from my profession, who could lose their licenses for citing incorrect precedents or cases, have gotten caught relying on AI more than their own research.
Fostering Critical Thinking
That leads me to my last point as an attorney and a parent. One of the reasons I’m proud of my grown children is that they have mastered critical thinking. They know how to synthesize information, analyze various points of view, and make their own judgments. It’s fundamental to their professional success and has helped make them standout human beings. Too much reliance on AI can hamper the development of this life skill.
AI can facilitate or obstruct our dreams for our kids as they approach adulthood. Our job, as parents, is to stay current with the latest advances and help teens leverage their many benefits while learning, growing, and following school and municipal laws.
Alex Schwartz, Esq., the proud father of three adult children, is a youth and divorce lawyer based in Southport. With more than four decades of experience, he takes a highly personalized approach to each divorce agreement, drawing on his courtroom experience to protect clients’ interests. As a youth lawyer, Alex has helped countless minors get through difficult situations with compassion, patience, and resolve. Learn more about Alex at ahschwartz.com, email [email protected], or call 203.255.9829.
