AI Yi Yi

November 6, 2025

This is a time of seasonal shift: We're emerging from Halloween, when we revel in a bit of fear, and heading into the holidays, when we lean into gratitude, connection, and new beginnings. And if there’s one topic right now that straddles both fear and promise, it’s artificial intelligence. With all its potential comes real risk, especially for kids.

The most successful users of AI are those who treat it as a partner, not as a pilot. At KidsOutAndAbout.com, it has been unlocking astonishing possibilities... transforming how we gather information, boosting efficiency, and opening doors that didn't exist five years ago. AI can help us brainstorm, analyze, and generate ideas. But it’s still up to us—actual humans—to decide the direction and values. That’s a difficult line for even adults to draw. So what happens when kids—who are still learning to think critically—start relying on AI to do the thinking for them?

People young and old are starting to give away their brains, ceding their thinking to ChatGPT and accepting what it says uncritically. And that's scary! AI is evolving so fast that schools can’t keep pace; we’re seeing young people use it to shortcut assignments, teach them things that turn out to be false, and even simulate artificial relationships in place of real human connections. And most parents and caregivers don’t feel equipped to guide kids through this.

That’s why KidsOutAndAbout.com is partnering with experts to help families build practical AI literacy. But first, we need to understand what you need most. We’ve created a very short survey, just 60 to 90 seconds, to help us understand what you know, what you’re unsure of, and what you want to learn. PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR and complete this survey no matter your level of knowledge or interest in AI. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, your input will help us build the resources you need. I appreciate your help!

We're now together on a life journey that almost none of us saw on the horizon. AI is here. It’s powerful. And with the right knowledge in our human hands, we can help it stay where it belongs: riding shotgun, not seizing the wheel.

—Debra Ross, publisher

KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more.