AI in Everyday Life: Teaching Children Ethics and Misinformation Detection Skills

In an increasingly AI-driven world, educators and policy experts are calling for artificial intelligence ethics and misinformation literacy to be elevated to core educational competencies, alongside traditional skills like mathematics and language arts.

Today’s children navigate digital landscapes saturated with algorithm-driven content, synthetic media, and rapid information flows from their earliest years. Recognizing this fundamental shift, India’s National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2023) has introduced AI learning beginning in Class 3, acknowledging that artificial intelligence now forms the backdrop of children’s developmental environments.

“Children are already immersed in digital systems governed by algorithms and synthetic content,” said Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of the Centre for Social Research. “Ethical awareness and misinformation literacy are now essential for young people to navigate digital spaces with confidence and autonomy.”

Without early education in AI ethics and critical thinking, experts warn that students remain vulnerable to manipulation, harmful content, and distorted digital realities. Dr. Kumari emphasized the importance of these skills from both gender and safety perspectives, noting that such competencies are “essential life skills for navigating digital spaces with confidence, dignity and autonomy.”

The rapid proliferation of deepfakes, algorithmic content amplification, and gendered misinformation makes understanding technology’s potential misuses increasingly important. For girls and marginalized groups who face disproportionate online harm, the ability to verify content, recognize bias, and understand digital consent has become fundamental to digital well-being.

Educational experts increasingly believe that introducing AI risks and digital verification skills between ages eight and ten is both timely and necessary. Children today encounter screens, videos, and social platforms at much younger ages than previous generations, often without understanding how content is generated, manipulated, or distributed.

“Starting early helps children internalize safety norms much like they learn reading or numeracy,” explained Dr. Kumari. Early education in these areas can help children recognize emerging digital threats—such as deepfakes, online fraud, and digital deception—before harm occurs, potentially alleviating parental anxiety in an era where AI-driven misinformation grows increasingly sophisticated.

While India’s Ministry of Education and the Department of School Education and Literacy have taken leadership roles in establishing AI literacy within national educational frameworks, curriculum development must remain multidisciplinary, according to experts.

“A credible AI literacy curriculum cannot be built in silos,” Dr. Kumari noted, highlighting the need for collaboration among educators, technologists, behavioral scientists, child rights advocates, and civil society organizations. To maintain relevance, such curricula require regular review, integration of global insights, and strong grounding in everyday Indian contexts, particularly for girls, marginalized communities, and first-generation digital users.

Rather than treating digital safety as a standalone subject, schools are encouraged to weave AI awareness and verification skills into everyday classroom activities. Using relatable examples like viral videos, manipulated images, and common online scams can help students understand digital risks in practical terms.

Equally important is creating robust school safety systems where students feel secure reporting online harm without fear of judgment. Teacher training and open conversations about digital deception, consent, and online abuse are essential components of building trust within educational environments.

Educators remain crucial trusted figures for students, yet many lack preparation to respond effectively to AI-driven harms such as digital impersonation, non-consensual intimate imagery sharing, and algorithmic bias. “Teachers cannot guide students through digital risks if they themselves are not equipped,” Dr. Kumari stated, advocating for structured, continuous training programs aligned with national initiatives like NISHTHA to help educators identify synthetic content, recognize signs of digital distress, and respond appropriately.

For AI ethics education to be effective, it must connect directly to students’ lived digital experiences. Discussions about viral challenges, AI-generated content, and current misinformation incidents provide practical opportunities for students to practice verification skills and consider the real-world consequences of online harm.

The Technology and Society in India (TASI) 2025 conference highlighted that technological governance cannot rely solely on algorithms but must center on human experiences and ethical design. The event emphasized that emotional literacy, community networks, and inclusive education are fundamental to creating safer digital environments.

By bringing together government representatives, industry leaders, and civil society organizations, these conversations position India not merely as a rapidly expanding digital economy but as an emerging global voice in ethical technology governance, particularly within the Global South. The underlying message remains clear: technology must serve people, especially those most vulnerable to its potential harms.