3 ways parents can get teenagers thinking about AI and faith

Every day, we’re using tools that felt like science fiction just a few years ago. Do you have a textbook chapter or article you don’t understand? AI will turn it into an entertaining podcast. Fancy a song? AI will write music from thin air. Say “make me a video,” and sure enough, it will. Not always great, but frighteningly fast… and getting better by the day. 

At the same time as we’re impressed by what AI can do, we’re worried about what AI might do—especially to young people. Young people are the most connected generation in history, and yet they can also be the loneliest. 

In fact, surveys in the UK illustrate that 16–29-year-olds top loneliness charts. It shatters our stereotypical view that the elderly are the most vulnerable to loneliness. But it’s not just that they’re lonelier. Early data shows that teens and young adults are also the most likely age group to engage with AI companions, especially when dealing with loneliness and anxiety. 

What can Christian youth leaders and parents do to educate teens to use AI well? And how do we tie worldly things that change so fast to gospel values that do not change? 

Firstly, AI isn’t all bad for young people 

There’s a risk that we think of AI in the same way as extreme horror or porn—it’s evil! But that’s neither helpful nor true. AI is revolutionising areas like medical research, with huge benefits. And for young people, it can be a big help. For example:

• Personalised learning – struggling students get a second chance to learn with a patient personal tutor, at their own pace and in a way that builds confidence and is inclusive.
• Career prep tools – these can suggest career options and even offer practice interviews for unsure teens.
• Anonymised mental health tools – provide private access to early intervention for young people who wouldn’t seek counselling — a stepping stone to human help.
• Digital citizenship and critical thinking – actively learning to use AI responsibly and ethically presents an opportunity to develop discernment and critical thinking that align with Christian values of truth-seeking and wisdom. 

But of course, we are also right to be concerned