## Beyond the Headlines
When I speak at schools about AI, I often start by asking students what they think AI can do. The answers fall into two camps: either AI is going to take over the world and destroy humanity, or AI is basically magic that can do anything.
Both perspectives come from the same source: media coverage that prioritizes drama over accuracy.
The reality is far more interesting -and far more useful for young people to understand.
What AI Actually Is (In Terms Kids Can Understand)
AI isn't a thinking machine. It's a pattern-recognition machine. It learns from examples the way you might learn to recognize dogs after seeing thousands of pictures of dogs.
The difference is that AI can process millions of examples in minutes. That's its superpower. But it still doesn't "understand" anything the way you understand what a dog is.
Three Skills Every Young Person Needs
1. Critical Evaluation
Can you look at AI-generated content and identify what might be wrong with it? This skill matters because AI makes confident-sounding mistakes all the time.
2. Effective Prompting
Can you communicate with AI tools to get useful results? This is becoming as fundamental as knowing how to use a search engine.
3. Ethical Thinking
Can you identify when using AI might be inappropriate or harmful? This requires understanding both the technology and human values.
What Parents and Educators Can Do
Start conversations, not lectures. Ask kids what they're using AI for. Many are already experimenting with ChatGPT, image generators, and other tools. Meet them where they are.
Focus on thinking, not memorizing. In a world where AI can answer most factual questions, the ability to ask good questions and evaluate answers becomes more valuable.
Emphasize creation over consumption. The most valuable skill is knowing how to create something meaningful with AI assistance, not just consume AI-generated content.
The Income Engine Connection
Through my financial education curriculum, "The Income Engine," I teach young people that understanding technology is directly connected to understanding money and career success.
AI literacy isn't separate from financial literacy. Young people who understand how to work with AI will have access to opportunities that others won't.
Looking Ahead
The kids in school today will graduate into a workforce where AI is ubiquitous. The question isn't whether they'll need to work with AI -it's whether they'll be prepared to do so thoughtfully and effectively.
Our job as parents, educators, and community leaders is to give them that preparation.