Why Letting Kids Use ChatGPT Might Actually Make Them Smarter (No, Really)

Let’s be honest: the moment a kid figures out they can type “Explain photosynthesis like I’m 10” into ChatGPT and get an answer faster than a Google search, it’s game over for traditional learning. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. Maybe—brace yourself for the controversial opinion—this kind of AI tool could expand how kids learn. Not replace it, do not dumb it down, but change the game entirely.

1. Instant Feedback = Instant Growth

Kids don’t love waiting. (Shocker.) With AI tools like ChatGPT they can get immediate explanations, rewrites, or summaries of complex topics. No more waiting until the next class to understand that confusing math problem. They ask, they learn, they move on. It’s like having a super-patient tutor who doesn’t even sigh passive-aggressively when asked to explain long division for the third time.

2. Personalised Learning, Minus the Expensive Software

Not every kid learns the same way—some are visual, some need analogies, some need the answer to be sung like a sea shanty (don’t ask). ChatGPT adapts. Want it in simpler terms? More complex? With a silly story? Done. That kind of flexible explanation isn’t something most teachers have the time or energy for daily.

3. Critical Thinking Isn’t Dead—It’s Just… Rebooting

Sure, if you let them, kids will try to copy-paste their entire book report. But with the right guidance (and prompts that don’t sound like they came from a medieval scroll), ChatGPT becomes a thought partner. Ask it to give arguments on both sides of an issue. Ask it to help brainstorm ideas, then evaluate them. It’s a mirror, not a cheat sheet—if used right.

4. Digital Literacy is a Life Skill Now

Letting kids interact with AI now doesn’t make them lazy—it makes them fluent. Future jobs will demand knowledge and the ability to ask the right questions using tools like this. Teaching them how to use AI ethically and intelligently now is like teaching them how to use calculators, spellcheck, or literally anything with a keyboard. It’s not cheating—it’s evolution.

5. It’s Not Going Anywhere, So Let’s Not Pretend

Trying to ban ChatGPT is like trying to ban Wikipedia in 2007. The toothpaste is out of the tube, the AI is out of the cloud, and no one is returning it. Do you think the better move is to teach kids how to collaborate with AI—how to question, verify, and refine. Treat AI as a tool, not a threat.

Final Thought: Empower, Don’t Restrict

Instead of clutching pearls whenever a student asks ChatGPT for help, maybe it’s time to get curious. Kids aren’t just looking for shortcuts but for connection, comprehension, and confidence. AI can’t replace a great teacher, but it can amplify what kids are already capable of. Mainly when used with the correct prompts. (Like the ones I might sell in my shop) To effectively promote the Ultimate VCE Study Prompt Pack at the end of your Squarespace article, follow these steps to add a compelling call-to-action (CTA):