Is your child using AI for homework? Expert issues warning to parents

An education expert has shared five rules parents should set when children use AI for homework, from fact-checking answers to protecting personal data.

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Published: September 17, 2026 at 10:40 AM

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AI can explain a tricky maths problem, help pick apart an argument or provide ideas in seconds, so it’s little surprise that children may be turning to it when homework gets tough.

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But if your child is using AI for schoolwork, banning it outright might not be the answer. Ross Garrod, CEO and founder of education technology company Involve Education, says parents should instead set clear boundaries around how children use AI, what information they share and, crucially, whether they’re still doing the thinking themselves.

Children need to know where that line is, especially when schools may have their own rules around AI.

Ross Garrod, CEO and founder of Involve Education

“Parents do need to set some clear boundaries around what their child uses it for what information they share and how they check the answers it gives them", explains Garrod, "A few simple rules at home can help children get the benefits without undermining their learning or landing themselves in trouble at school.”

1. Check your child’s school rules on AI

There isn’t one universal rule for how pupils can use AI. According to Garrod, some schools are embracing the technology while others are taking a more cautious approach, and what’s acceptable for revision may not be allowed for homework or assessed work.

Parents should check their school’s AI policy rather than assuming the same rules apply to every task. It’s also worth finding out whether pupils are being taught how to question AI-generated answers, spot mistakes and verify information using other sources.

2. Make sure AI is helping them think, not thinking for them

Using AI for homework isn’t necessarily the same as asking AI to do the homework, Garrod explains. The important distinction is how much of the thinking behind the finished work actually belongs to the child.

Rather than simply asking whether they used AI, parents can ask children to explain how they reached their answer, what they asked the chatbot and whether there was anything in its response they disagreed with.

Garrod suggests children could ask AI to attempt a problem and then try to prove it wrong, or use the technology to challenge an argument they have already written.

3. Don't automatically delete their AI homework chats

If homework suddenly looks very different from a child’s usual work, it could understandably raise questions at school.

Garrod warns that AI detectors aren't reliable enough to determine whether a pupil has used AI improperly. Instead, a saved AI conversation may provide a clearer picture of how they reached their final answer, including the questions they asked, what they challenged and how their ideas developed.

That doesn't mean parents need to monitor every prompt. If an AI tool automatically saves conversations, Garrod suggests keeping useful chats relating to schoolwork rather than immediately deleting them.

4. Ask them to close the laptop and explain what they've learnt

This is the rule Garrod describes as potentially the most important of the five.

A polished answer on screen doesn't necessarily mean a child understands the subject. Once they've finished, parents can ask them to close the screen and explain the main idea in their own words.

Questions such as “Why is that the answer?”, “How do you know?” or “Can you explain it another way?” can help reveal whether the knowledge has actually sunk in.

It's also an important check because AI can confidently produce incorrect information, including invented quotes and sources, calculation errors and faulty explanations.

Children should therefore check facts, calculations, quotes and sources against textbooks, information supplied by their teacher or other reliable sources.

5. Set a firm rule about sharing personal information

Finally, children need to understand that personal information goes beyond obvious details such as their home address or phone number.

Garrod says children shouldn't enter identifiable information about themselves or anyone else into an AI chat unless a parent or school has checked the tool and understands what happens to the information.

That could include:

Children also shouldn't assume an AI conversation is automatically private, as what happens to the information they enter can vary depending on the tool and type of account being used.

The simple AI homework test parents can try

Ultimately, the key question isn't simply whether your child has used AI. It's whether they've understood the work it helped them produce.

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If they can put the technology away and explain the answer, defend their reasoning and apply what they've learnt to another question, that's a much better indication that AI has supported their learning rather than replaced it.

About our expert

Ross Garrod is the founder of Involve Education, an AI-powered school management technology company. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, large language models (LLMs), AI in education and school technology, and he has a background in both music performance and education. His work focuses on how technology can be used within schools and other complex organisations.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.

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