Section 1
Introduction
AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday life. It's already built into search engines, social media, smartphones, online games, writing tools, photo editors, translation apps, and educational software.
Many students meet AI through school-supported tools, such as the Vancouver School Board's rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+ for eligible secondary students. At the same time, they may use public AI services at home through websites and apps.
This guide isn't here to tell families whether AI is "good" or "bad." It's here to help you understand the technology, support your child's learning, recognize the risks, and know where to find help. Like the internet, AI can be very useful — but used carelessly it can spread misinformation, invade privacy, and create new forms of harm.
Section 2
Understanding VSB's Copilot 13+
In May 2026, the Vancouver School Board announced the introduction of Microsoft Copilot 13+ for eligible secondary students. The goal isn't to replace teachers or independent thinking — it's to recognize that AI tools are becoming part of higher education and the workplace, and that students benefit from learning to use them responsibly.
According to the VSB, the educational version of Copilot includes protections that many public AI tools don't. These may include:
Section 3
What is Artificial Intelligence?
AI refers to computer systems that perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence. Generative AI can create text, images, video, audio, computer code, study materials, summaries, and music.
Tools your child may encounter include:
ChatGPT Microsoft Copilot Google Gemini Claude Perplexity AI in search engines AI image generators AI study apps AI writing assistants
A simple way to think about it
AI doesn't think or understand the world the way people do. One way to picture it is like the autocomplete on your phone: it looks at many examples and predicts what's likely to come next — combined with software that turns those predictions into useful results. That makes AI extremely useful, but it can also be confidently wrong. Spotting those mistakes is a key part of AI literacy.
Section 4
Why Are Schools Introducing AI?
Rather than pretending students will never use these tools, many educators believe students should learn to use them safely and responsibly. Digital literacy increasingly includes understanding AI's capabilities and limitations, evaluating AI-generated information, protecting privacy, understanding bias, respecting intellectual property, maintaining academic integrity, and being a responsible digital citizen.
The goal is not to replace learning with AI — it's to teach students to use AI while continuing to think critically and independently.
A note on the ongoing debate
The introduction of AI in schools isn't universally welcomed, and reasonable people disagree. When the VSB announced Copilot 13+, some students and parents raised concerns, including privacy, the impact on independent thinking, environmental cost (water and electricity), student safety, and broader social and economic impacts. There was also a request for clearer policies and an opt-out option.
If you have concerns, you're not alone, and you're entitled to raise them. Families who wish to limit or opt out of school-provided AI should contact their child's school or district to ask what options are available. Different families may reach different conclusions — and that's okay.
Section 5
School AI vs. AI at Home
At school
Many districts choose platforms with added privacy protections and supervision:
- Organizational accounts
- Data protection measures
- Restricted age access
- Content filtering
- Teacher supervision
- Acceptable-use policies
At home
Students often use AI without realizing it. Assume AI is already present in:
- Phones and tablets, search engines
- Snapchat and Instagram features
- TikTok recommendation systems
- Homework-helper apps, Discord bots
- Photo & video editing apps
- Translation tools, browser extensions
Section 6
The Opportunities of AI
Used appropriately, AI can support a broad range of learning outcomes.
Learning support
Explaining difficult concepts, summarizing complex reading, creating practice quizzes, and generating study guides.
Writing assistance
Brainstorming ideas, improving grammar, suggesting clearer wording, and organizing outlines.
Creative projects
Story prompts, art inspiration, coding assistance, and language translation.
Accessibility
Help with reading, writing, language barriers, and executive-function skills like planning, organization, and time management.
Section 7
The Risks and Challenges
These are the topics worth understanding before your child uses AI on their own. Tap any heading to read more.
Many AI systems collect what users provide. Children should avoid entering passwords, home addresses, financial or health information, student ID numbers, personal details about classmates, family information, or private photographs.
A useful rule: never put anything into an AI tool that you wouldn't want copied, stored, or shared.
AI can generate convincing but incorrect information. Encourage your child to ask: Where did this come from? Can I verify it? Does another source agree? Could this be fabricated?
Critical thinking remains essential.
AI learns from enormous collections of text and images created by people, and can absorb and repeat the biases in that data — favouring or stereotyping certain groups, presenting a narrow view as if it were neutral, or leaving out underrepresented perspectives.
An AI answer isn't neutral just because a computer produced it. The "average" answer may reflect whose voices were most common online — not what's fair, accurate, or complete.
Children can ask: Whose perspective might be missing? Could this be unfair to certain groups? Would another source give a different viewpoint?
AI-generated content may draw on existing works. Intellectual property broadly covers creative work protected by law — copyright (music, movies, art), trademarks (brands and names), and patents (rights over industrial or technical processes).
A good family guideline: use AI to help create your own work — not to copy someone else's.
Deepfakes are fake pictures, videos, or audio created using AI that appear authentic but are entirely fabricated. They can be used for harassment, bullying, political misinformation, identity theft, financial scams, and sexual exploitation.
Children should understand that realistic media is not necessarily real.
Intimate images are private sexual images — which can include nudity, but also any provocative imagery. AI can generate or manipulate images that appear to show real people in intimate situations without their consent. This is a serious, growing concern across Canada, and it can happen to anyone.
- Creating fake intimate images of others causes real harm.
- Sharing such images can carry serious legal and school consequences.
- Being targeted is never the victim's fault.
If this happens to your child, there are fast, free, B.C.-specific ways to get images removed and to get support — see If something goes wrong.
Sextortion means threatening someone to make them send money or more private images. Predators may use AI-generated images, fake identities, or manipulated photos to threaten or extort young people. Warning signs include requests for private images, sudden demands for money, threats to expose embarrassing content, and online relationships that quickly become controlling.
If someone threatens you online, you can always ask for help — and you will not be in trouble for asking.
Sextortion can move very quickly and feel overwhelming. Reassure your child that telling a trusted adult is the right move, no matter what's been said or threatened. See If something goes wrong.
Some AI systems are designed to simulate friendship or emotional support. Be aware if your child begins replacing real friendships with AI conversations, seeking constant reassurance from chatbots, spending excessive time with AI companions, avoiding real-world interactions, or feeling they need the AI to feel okay.
AI can be a useful tool, but it shouldn't become a substitute for healthy human relationships.
Running large AI systems takes significant computing power, which uses electricity and water. Some families weigh this cost when deciding how much to rely on AI. There's no single "right" answer, but it can be a worthwhile part of a conversation about using technology thoughtfully and only when it genuinely helps.
Section 8
Helping Your Child Use AI Responsibly
Encourage your child to:
- Verify AI-generated information.
- Understand what they submit.
- Respect other people's privacy.
- Use AI to support — not replace — their own thinking.
- Tell teachers when AI has been used, if required.
- Ask questions when something feels wrong.
Section 9
A Family AI Agreement
Consider discussing these expectations together:
Section 10
Conversation Starters
- What AI tools are popular at school?
- Have you ever seen AI make a mistake?
- How would you know if an image was fake?
- What should never be shared with AI?
- What would you do if someone made a fake picture of a friend?
- How do your teachers expect AI to be used?
- What AI features do you use without even thinking about them?
Section 11
The AI Traffic Light
A quick way to talk about what's okay, what needs care, and what to avoid.
Green — generally appropriate
- Practice quizzes
- Brainstorming
- Study guides
- Grammar assistance
- Learning explanations
- Asking AI to explain something you're learning
Yellow — use carefully
- Research summaries
- Essay outlines
- Public AI chatbots
- Image generation
- Social media content creation
Red — avoid
- Submitting AI work as your own
- Sharing private information
- Creating fake images of real people
- Bullying or impersonation
- Creating sexualized content involving minors
- Trusting AI without verification
Section 12
If Something Goes Wrong — Who to Contact
First steps
Stay calm
Children are far more likely to seek help if they know they'll be supported, not blamed.
Preserve evidence
Take screenshots of messages, profiles, and images if it's safe to do so — this helps with removal and reporting.
Stop further sharing
Don't forward or redistribute harmful material, even to report it informally.
Who to contact (B.C. & Canada)
A fake or shared intimate image of a young person
Take Back Your Images (B.C.) — B.C.'s dedicated portal for getting intimate images (including AI-generated or "deepfake" images) removed. It connects you to the Intimate Images Protection Service, which offers free emotional support, helps you apply, and helps communicate removal orders to platforms. You can apply to the Civil Resolution Tribunal for a takedown order, an order to stop distribution, and compensation.
NeedHelpNow.ca — step-by-step help for youth to remove sexual images or videos shared online.
Cybertip.ca — Canada's national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children. Report here if your child is under 18.
Something that happened at or involves school
erase — Report It — B.C.'s confidential reporting tool that sends a private message to your school or district's safe-school coordinator, who follows up promptly. You can report anonymously or include your name.
Contact your school administration directly if classmates are involved.
Emotional support — any time, day or night
Kids Help Phone — call 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868. Free, confidential support for young people across Canada.
Threats, extortion, or child exploitation
Contact your local police — call 911 in an emergency, or the non-emergency line otherwise — in addition to Cybertip.ca.
Section 13
Final Thoughts
AI is becoming part of modern childhood. Like the internet, smartphones, and social media before it, AI presents both opportunities and challenges. Parents don't need to become technical experts. The most important things you can do are:
The goal is not to raise children who avoid AI. The goal is to raise children who can use AI thoughtfully, ethically, and safely.
Appendix A
Frequently Asked Questions
- Stay calm and reassure your child it's not their fault.
- Save evidence (screenshots) if it's safe to do so.
- Do not redistribute the image.
- Use takebackyourimages.gov.bc.ca to begin removal and get support, and report to Cybertip.ca (your child is a minor).
- Use erase — Report It or contact school administration if classmates are involved.
- Call Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) for emotional support.
- Contact police (911 in an emergency) if there are threats or exploitation.
See If something goes wrong for full contact details.
Appendix D
Quick Reference Checklist
Good everyday uses
- Brainstorming
- Practice quizzes
- Study help
- Translation
- Learning explanations
Warning signs
- Secretive AI use
- Sharing personal information
- AI replacing friendships
- Deepfake bullying
- Requests for intimate images
- Sudden online threats
If something goes wrong
- Stay calm and supportive.
- Save evidence (screenshots) and stop further sharing.
- If school-related: contact administration and use erase — Report It.
- If intimate images are involved: use Take Back Your Images (B.C.) and Cybertip.ca.
- If threats/extortion occur: contact local police (911 for emergencies).
- Emotional support: Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868.
Appendix B & C
Canadian Resources & References
Links point to official pages that are kept current. If a page has moved, start from the organization's main website.
Education & AI policy
Intimate images & online harm (B.C.)
Online safety (Canada)
- Canadian Centre for Child Protection
- Cybertip.ca — national tipline
- NeedHelpNow.ca
- Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868, text CONNECT to 686868
Digital literacy & privacy
- MediaSmarts — parent resources on AI & algorithms
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — Privacy & AI
Appendix E
AI & Digital Literacy Glossary
Plain-language definitions of words used throughout this guide. Start typing to filter.
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