AI for Kids Podcast

Send us Fan Mail AI is in your backpack already. It’s on your phone, in your GPS, in the apps you use for school, and in the tools that can write, solve, summarize, and generate almost anything. So when schools block AI, are they keeping kids safe, or skipping the part where students learn how to use it wisely? We dig into that tension with Dora Palfi, co-founder and CEO of Imagi, who helps classrooms introduce AI, computer science, and computational thinking through creative, hands-on learni...

Send us Fan Mail AI can write poems, answer questions, and sound confident, but does it actually understand what it’s saying? We sit down with Reed Koch, Director of Engineering at KungFu.ai, to unpack what “intelligence” means in machine learning and why computers can be both impressive and hilariously confused at the same time. Reed shares his unusual path into AI through languages, linguistics, and natural language processing (NLP), then makes big ideas feel simple with stories kids (and ...

Send us Fan Mail A teen writes the lyrics, AI builds the sound, and suddenly a song that used to live only in her head can play out loud. That’s the creative shift we dig into with Rachel Schaub, a 17-year-old songwriter who’s using AI music tools to move faster, stay inspired, and keep making pop tracks even without a full band or studio. We talk through Rachel’s real workflow step by step: how she starts with a song title, drafts her own lyrics, then uses Suno to generate the music and ref...

Send us Fan Mail AI is not coming to school someday. It is already there, tucked into search boxes, video recommendations, study apps, and yes, the chatbots everyone talks about. We’re kicking off the new school year with a clear-eyed look at what that means for kids, parents, and teachers, starting with a surprising stat: 86% of kids ages 9 to 17 have used AI. So the question is not whether students will use artificial intelligence, but how we can use it without handing over our thinking. W...

Send us Fan Mail AI can feel like magic until you look closer and realize it’s built on choices, data, and a whole lot of guessing. For our Season 3 finale of AI for Kids, we pull together the biggest takeaways from the season and turn them into simple, usable rules kids can remember and grown-ups can support at home, in libraries, and in classrooms. The bottom line stays the same: you don’t have to fear artificial intelligence, but you do have to think, pause, and stay curious. We talk abou...

Send us Fan Mail AI is getting louder, faster, and more impressive by the week and that can make kids wonder what’s left for humans to do. We wanted to bring a calmer, more real-world answer: the future still needs people who can build, fix, and make things when life breaks in unpredictable ways. I’m joined by Archie D. Nettles, Jr., creator of Trades to the Rescue and the TradesTopolis universe. He writes kids as the heroes of infrastructure, the ones who solve the problems that actually ke...

Send us Fan Mail Vampire fish in the Great Lakes sounds like a prank until you learn sea lampreys are real and they’re chewing through ecosystems like trout and salmon. We start with that eerie mental image, then take a hard turn into something hopeful: kids solving a real environmental problem with artificial intelligence, creativity, and a strong sense of what “safe” should mean. A team of fourth graders in Michigan enters the Presidential AI Challenge and builds a concept called the Guard...

Send us Fan Mail A character in your game says hi back, remembers your name, and chats like they actually know you. That can feel amazing and also a little risky, because more and more games are adding AI powered NPCs that can hold real conversations through tools like Roblox text generation and Minecraft add-ons. When a game starts talking like a person, kids need a few simple rules to stay safe without losing the fun. We break down three big takeaways for navigating AI in video games...

Send us Fan Mail AI sounds smart. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. And it definitely doesn’t mean it should be doing your thinking for you. This week, Dhani Ramadhani joins the show. She’s a mom, a Harvard grad, a GovTech expert, and the creator of aiPTO, a resource built to give families real language for talking about AI at the dinner table. Dhani shares the THINK framework, five letters that put YOU in charge when you’re using AI. WHAT WE COVER The THINK framework: Take time b...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re tackling one of the scariest AI scams happening right now: voice cloning. Criminals are using AI to copy someone’s voice from just a few seconds of audio, a TikTok, a voicemail, a birthday video, and then calling their family pretending to be them. The calls sound real. The panic is real. And families across the country are losing money to it. But there’s a dead-simple way to protect your family. One step. We break it all down. How AI voice cloning works: and...

Send us Fan Mail A game is loading, a video looks fun, and then a screen pops up demanding your birthday. Why does an app need your age, and what happens if you type it in without thinking? I dig into the real reason age questions show up so often and why that “quick little form” is actually a big online safety moment for kids and families. We connect age gates to real-world rules kids already understand, like movie ratings and height signs at amusement parks. Then we talk about where AI and...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Amber sits down with digital producer and internet culture veteran Matt Silverman for a real talk about algorithms, slop, screen addiction, and why being a little bit skeptical online might be the most important skill a kid can have right now. Matt has spent decades covering how the internet works — and more importantly, how it works on us. He breaks it all down in a way that actually makes sense, whether you're 10 or your parent is 45. In this episode: Why the int...

Send us Fan Mail AI can feel like a mind that knows you, agrees with you, and never gets tired, which is exactly why we need to talk about how it shows up in real life. I’m joined by Dr. Tiffany Petricini , who studies AI and relationships, and Dr. Sarah Zipf, who researches technology in education, to unpack what kids actually need to know about AI beyond the hype and scary movie plots. We get into why technology is never neutral, why there are always benefits and disadvantages, and why sch...

Send us Fan Mail A kids’ video can be bright, catchy, and totally wrong. We’re seeing more AI-generated videos for kids show up on YouTube and tablets, and some of them slip mistakes into the middle where a quick parent check might miss it. That matters because “small” errors can teach unsafe ideas, confuse real-world rules, and spread misinformation while looking like normal cartoons and sing-alongs. We break down what’s going on in plain language: how AI can create videos fast, why some cr...

Send us Fan Mail AI can do homework-level tasks in seconds, which is exactly why so many parents and teachers feel uneasy. After a short break, we’re back with a solo check-in that tackles the question showing up all over parent message boards: how much AI is too much for kids, and what does “healthy” AI use actually look like when school and screens are already competing for attention? We dig into a concept called cognitive offloading, where we hand our thinking over to a machine and slowly...

Send us Fan Mail Check out this replay episode for kids and parents interested in AI support with storytime. What if a child could open a book and see their own name, face, and dreams driving the plot forward, then watch that same story come to life on screen? We sit down with Brian Carlson, CEO and co‑founder of Storytime AI, to explore how personalized stories and videos can turn reluctant readers into eager creators. From short, high‑interest tales to full‑length novels, Brian shows how id...

Send us Fan Mail Check out this replay episode for kids and parents interested in cyber security. Curious about how artificial intelligence shapes our daily lives? Join us as we chat with Tennisha Martin, the visionary founder of Black Girls Hack, who shares her journey from a tech-savvy childhood to leading a nonprofit that empowers underrepresented communities through cybersecurity and technology. Discover the thrill of breaking and testing software for security purposes, and learn how AI, ...

Send us Fan Mail In this replay we revisit our episode with the one and only Phil Rogofsky. Is STEM only for scientists and engineers? Join us as we unravel this myth with our special guest, Phil Rogofsky, the visionary behind the Maryland STEM Festival (October 18th to November 17th). Phil’s journey into the world of STEM started with childhood dreams inspired by the Apollo program and Jacques Cousteau, coupled with his parents' influence. He passionately shares how these early experiences...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re sharing a fan-favorite replay, an episode that ranks in the top ten of our all-time most listened-to episodes. In this week's replay episode we unlock the secrets of building adaptive, personalized robots with Dr. Randi Williams, a leading figure in AI and robotics, as she shares her journey from a math-obsessed child inspired by Jimmy Neutron to a pioneering expert aiming to make technology fairer and more inclusive. Dr. Williams takes us behind the scene...

Send us Fan Mail A single question from a four-year-old, “What is data?”, sparked a four-year journey that turned everyday moments into a blueprint for teaching kids the foundations of AI. We sit down with Chandra Donelson, chief data and AI officer, Air Force reservist, and author of The Data Detective series, to show how data literacy starts at home with simple habits that build real confidence. Chandra shares the carnival breakthrough that helped her son grasp quantitative and qualitative...

Send us Fan Mail A video looks real, the voice sounds familiar, but something feels off. That gut check matters, and we turn it into a simple habit kids can use every day: pause, check, ask. We break down deepfakes in plain language, show how AI learns to mimic faces and voices, and teach a family-friendly game that trains kids to spot tricks without fear or extra screen time. We start by explaining what deepfakes are and how pattern-learning lets AI copy smiles, speech, and movement. From t...

Send us Fan Mail What do kids really touch when they “use AI”? We sat down with educator Tom Mullaney and early virtual economy pioneer Tim Allen to strip away the buzzwords and bring AI back to what children actually experience: predictive systems that generate words, pictures, and sounds without authorship or intent. From Second Life marketplaces to today’s chatbots, we trace how hype blurs reality, how “easy button” tools undercut learning, and why kids deserve a clear, practical map for u...

Send us Fan Mail Kids are meeting chatbots everywhere, from homework helpers to pop‑ups on websites, and many of them think the robot “feels” things. We cut through the hype with a friendly, practical guide that shows how chatbots really work, why they sometimes sound brilliant and sometimes go off the rails, and what families can do to stay curious and safe at the same time. We start by breaking down the core idea: a chatbot predicts the next word using patterns, not feelings or understandi...

Send us Fan Mail Worried that “learning AI” means more screens and less connection at home? We flip that script with a parent-first, practical roadmap for saving time, lowering stress, and building real AI literacy, together with your kids. Our guest, former teacher, edtech pro, and mom Julie Kelleher, shares how she created “Like a Mother AI” to help families turn curiosity into safe, meaningful habits. We dig into the TIME framework, Tutoring, Ideas, Management, Encouragement, to show exac...

Send us Fan Mail Curious talking toys are popping up everywhere, from plush buddies and dolls to tiny robots that listen and talk back. In this AI for Kids episode, we kick off our “AI in Real Life” series by breaking down AI toys for kids in plain language so families know what they are actually buying. We explain how talking AI toys use speech recognition, simple memory, and pre-programmed responses, where they can shine for learning and play, and where parents need clear guardrails for saf...

Send us Fan Mail A stuffed animal that answers back. A kind voice that “understands.” A tutor that lives in a fictional town. AI characters are everywhere, and they’re changing how kids learn, play, and bond with media. We sat down with Dr. Sonia Tiwari, children’s media researcher and former game character designer, to unpack how to welcome these tools into kids’ lives without losing what matters most. Sonia breaks down what truly makes an AI character: a personality, a backstory, and the n...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, hey! You made it to the end of our special ABCs of AI series. In this final episode of the ABCs of AI, we land on the letter Z for Zero-Shot Learning, a fancy AI term that we break down so it makes sense for kids and their grown ups. We talk about how AI can make smart guesses about things it has never “seen” before, why that can be powerful, and why it can also be risky if the data behind it is biased or unfair. Kids will hear a clear reminder that they are the real thi...

Send us Fan Mail Kids are talking to Alexa and seeing AI everywhere before they can even read, but most parents, aunties, and teachers are still trying to figure out what AI actually is. In this solo episode, I share why I shifted from talking about AI with adults to focusing on kids and families, and how that led to AiDigiCards and the ABCs of AI Activity Deck. Back the Kickstarter here! I talk about how I ended up as one of the voices of an AI avatar, what happened when ChatGPT hit in 2022,...

Send us Fan Mail Amber Ivey (aka AI) shares standout moments from AI for Kids, conversations that made her stop and think about how kids, parents, and teachers are learning to live with AI. From creativity and coding to curiosity and critical thinking, these clips remind us that understanding AI starts with asking good questions and keeping an open mind. If you heard something today that made you think or smile, share this episode with a friend, teacher, or family member. Parents can si...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine an AI tutor that changes color to teach colors, points to an arm to name body parts, and keeps lessons fun without losing focus. That’s Buddy AI, a 3D animated study buddy for kids that turns screen time into meaningful learning. In this episode of AI for Kids, host Amber Ivey talks with Ivan Crewkov, the founder of Buddy AI, to explore how a personal challenge of helping his daughter learn English grew into a global learning platform used by over 60 million children....

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a robot colors the sun green? That playful mistake helps us unlock a bigger idea: AI needs you. Not as a spectator, but as the guide who brings context, empathy, and fairness. In this episode, Y stands for “You + AI.” We explore how people and AI work together in the real world, where speed and pattern spotting meet human judgment and care. We explain the idea of “human in the loop,” a simple way to make sure people stay in charge of goals, guardrails, and f...

Send us Fan Mail What if teaching your kids about AI felt as simple as asking a smart friend for help at the grocery store? In this episode of AI for Kids, we dig into one big question every parent is asking: What’s a prompt—and why should kids learn to use one? Together, we explore: Can kids love science but hate math and still thrive in STEM?How can you explain prompts to kids so it “clicks” right away?What simple, fun prompts can kids try—from making coloring pages to writing stories?What ...

Send us Fan Mail Nope, we’re not talking about superhero powers — we’re exploring how AI and smart tools use X-rays, thermal cameras, and other sensors to “see” what’s inside things. From spotting broken bones in hospitals to scanning luggage at airports and even studying stars in space, AI helps us look deeper without magic — just sensors plus machine learning! In this episode of AI for Kids, we break down how AI “learns to see,” share simple safety rules about cameras and privacy, and play ...

Send us Fan Mail Diya Wynn, Responsible AI Lead at Amazon Web Services, takes us on a remarkable journey from her childhood in the South Bronx to becoming a technology leader championing fairness in artificial intelligence. Her story begins with a pivotal moment at age eight when, after receiving a basic computer as an academic achievement award, she declared she wanted to be a computer engineer—a path that would shape her entire professional life. What makes Diya's perspective so valuable i...

Send us Fan Mail Season 3 is here! In this episode of AI for Kids, Amber kicks things off with the letter W in our ABCs of AI series. W is for Weights — but not the kind you lift at the gym. In AI, weights are like little dials that tell a computer which clues matter most when it’s learning. Pointy ears? Higher weight for “cat.” Fluffy tail? Could be “dog.” These weights help AI make decisions in games, apps, and even the tools adults use at work. But here’s the twist: if the weights are wron...

Send us Fan Mail Curious about raising AI-literate kids without more screen time? Our Season Two finale delivers a thoughtful recap of our AI journey while offering creative ways to keep the learning going all summer long. We've explored the fascinating world of artificial intelligence through conversations with remarkable guests who bring diverse perspectives to children's AI education. Each guest reinforced our core belief: understanding technology doesn't require endless screen time, it r...

Send us Fan Mail Kaashvi Mittal, a rising high school senior, is transforming how we think about AI education. As founder of Together We AI, she's breaking down complex technology into bite-sized, understandable concepts through free workshops that make artificial intelligence accessible to everyone. The spark for Kaashvi's journey came during a Stanford AI for All summer program where she helped create an AI model analyzing satellite imagery to determine socioeconomic status of different re...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how smart speakers like Alexa know what you're saying? Or how self-driving cars can tell the difference between a stop sign and a person? Our latest episode dives into the fascinating world of voice and vision in artificial intelligence—explaining how AI's digital "ears" and "eyes" work in ways even young children can understand. We break down voice recognition technology, explaining how AI systems listen to spoken commands and figure out appropriate responses....

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how to explain AI news to the curious young minds in your life? This episode of AI for Kids Scoop breaks down the latest artificial intelligence developments from early to mid-June in language kids and adults can understand together. We dive into Apple's new "Apple Intelligence" features unveiled at their Worldwide Developer Conference. Picture asking your iPhone to translate a FaceTime call in real time or edit photos simply by describing what you want to chan...

Send us Fan Mail What if technology could help you understand and manage your emotions better? Dr. Alicia Mckoy, founder and CEO of PeakMind, takes us on a fascinating journey through the intersection of neuroscience, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence in the quest for better mental wellbeing. The human brain processes emotions through chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline, triggering our fight, flight, freeze, or relaxation responses. Understanding this complex system ...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode explores the letter "U" in our ABCs of AI series, representing both yoU (our curious young listeners) and Unsupervised Learning. We break down how artificial intelligence systems can organize photos, music, and data by identifying similarities without being explicitly told what to look for. Through our "Sort It Like a Robot" activity, kids can experience firsthand how machines approach pattern recognition by sorting household objects and discussing the differe...

Send us Fan Mail The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and our latest AI for Kids Scoop episode brings the most exciting tech developments straight to young curious minds. From robot dancing to drone flying, we're uncovering how schools across America are transforming tech education into hands-on adventures that prepare kids for tomorrow's world. Dive into our exploration of Maine's student tech conference where nearly 1,000 kids programmed dancing robots and piloted drones, showcasi...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered why AI can be simultaneously brilliant and bewilderingly clueless? Reed Coke, Director of Engineering at KUNGFU.AI, offers a beautifully simple explanation: AI is like singing along to songs in a language you don't know. You recognize patterns and can predict what comes next without truly understanding the meaning. Reed brings his unique background as a linguist-turned-AI engineer to explain natural language processing in terms kids (and adults) can grasp. Grow...

Send us Fan Mail Tokens are the invisible building blocks that power every AI conversation, and in this episode of the AI for Kids podcast, we're breaking them down in a way that makes perfect sense for curious young minds! As part of our "ABCs of AI" series, we've reached the letter T, and tokens take center stage. Ever wondered how AI actually processes our words? Unlike humans who understand complete thoughts, AI breaks everything down into smaller pieces called tokens—which can be whole ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of AI for Kids, we explore how artificial intelligence is changing schools around the world—from new rules to exciting new tools! We talk about how China just made new rules that stop students from turning in AI-written homework and require teacher help when younger kids use AI tools. Over in the UK, leaders are planning global guidelines for AI in education—and even a big AI in schools summit in 2026! We also spotlight Jun Jang, a 16-year-old from Mississippi...

Send us Fan Mail What if your child had a kind, judgment-free learning companion—available anytime they needed help? That’s exactly what’s starting to happen in classrooms using AI. In this episode, we talk with Kanishka Seth, a teacher and EdTech leader at Khan Lab School, who works just one floor below the Khan Academy team and sees firsthand how AI is showing up in real learning spaces. Kanishka shares how Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI-powered tool, acts like a thoughtful study buddy—asking ...

Send us Fan Mail We break down supervised learning, explaining how AI learns from labeled examples just like how children learn from teachers identifying objects. • Supervised learning is when AI learns from labeled examples (like seeing pictures of apples with labels) • The more examples an AI sees, the better it gets at recognizing patterns • Real-world applications include Google Lens, spam filters, AI art apps, and medical diagnostic tools • Bad or confusing data leads to incorrect learn...

Send us Fan Mail Spring is here—and so is our new weekly podcast format! We’re now alternating between fun episodes for kids and a new segment, “AI Kids Scoop,” where we break down what’s happening in AI and education. After a recent trip to Seoul, I saw just how powerful AI can be—using ChatGPT to plan, Google Lens to read menus, and Translate to chat with locals. It’s a reminder that AI is here now, and our kids need to learn how to use it wisely. Our inaugural AI Kids Scoop covers groundbr...

Send us Fan Mail This is the last week of our break and we look forward to catching up in a couple of weeks. Check out this week's replay. "Technology won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use it will take your position." These words from Eashan Kosaraju, a remarkable high school student from Ohio, capture the essence of why AI literacy matters for today's youth. Dive into this eye-opening conversation with a teen who's already making waves in the AI education space as host of the ...

Send us Fan Mail We are on a short spring break at AI for Kid. We look forward to seeing you all in May. In the meantime, check out this replay with Archi Marrapu, a remarkable young inventor. • Explaining artificial intelligence as a "fake brain" that can mimic human intelligence and sometimes exceed human capabilities • Creating Project Pill Tracker, a 3D-printed medication management system with AI features that prevent medication errors • Working with tools like Arduino Uno k...