Getting creative with AI – tools for children and young people

Whether chatbots like My AI or digital assistants like Alexa – Artificial intelligence has long since found its way into everyday family life. This makes people curious and encourages them to try it out for themselves. In this article, we show you a few ways in which children and young people can use AI tools creatively.

Generate artworks with Leonardo.AI

AI picture generators allow your child to give free rein to their creativity and create exciting works of art. For example, they can create pictures in the style of different art movements such as Impressionism or Pop Art or be inspired by famous artists. Leonardo.AI offers one way of doing this. The tool is available as an app for Android and iOS or can be used directly in the internet browser. In the free version, 150 tokens (a type of digital currency) are available per day, which can be used to generate at least 10 images. Your child can also upload their own pictures and videos and edit them in the style of famous artists. However, please pay attention to your child’s data protection and privacy. Leonardo AI has a USK rating from the age of 12.

Further information: https://leonardo.ai/

Producing music with Suno

From birthday songs to hip-hop songs – with the Suno tool, your child can generate a variety of songs from instruments and vocals. The program creates songs based on input from instructions (called prompts). For example: “Create a cheerful pop song about 4b’s hiking day in the city forest”. Up to ten songs can be generated every day, with each prompt your child receives two song suggestions. They can listen to these directly and download them if necessary. Your child can either write the lyrics themselves or have them generated automatically by the program. The resulting songs may be used for non-commercial purposes. Free registration is required for use, for example with a Google-account is required. According to the terms and conditions, the tool may be used from the age of 13, the USK age rating with regard to the protection of minors is “from 12 years”. Suno is available as an app for Android and iOS as well as a browser application.

Further information: https://suno.com/

Create coloring pages with ChatGPT

It’s raining outside and all the activities at home seem to have been exhausted? How about a special coloring activity? With ChatGPT you can not only support schoolwork, but also create coloring pages according to your child’s wishes. To do this, your child enters the command for how the picture should look in the chat window and receives a generated picture from the chatbot. ChatGPT has a USK rating from the age of 0 and can be used from the age of 13 with the consent of a parent or guardian. We explain exactly how the tool works and what you should bear in mind in this article: https://www.elternguide.online/chatgpt/

Design comics with Canva

With the low-threshold design program Canva, your child can get creative with a variety of AI tools and editing functions. The program can be used either via the website or via the Canva app for Android and iOS. It’s perfect for creating your own comics or photo stories. Here’s how it works:

• Your child thinks about a story and writes it down on a piece of paper.
• Now your child enters “comic template” in the search field under “Design” à “Templates” and receives a large selection of blank comic pages.
• To fill the pages, your child needs image material. They can either upload their own photos, select content from the Canva database or generate images with the help of artificial intelligence. A large selection of different AI tools is available under “Apps” à “AI-supported”. AI can also assist with image editing and remove the background from photos, for example.
• Using the text function, your child can add writing and complete the comic with speech bubbles, graphics or stickers under “Elements”.

Registration is required to work with Canva. According to the terms and conditions, the tool is only permitted for children up to the age of 13 with parental consent, the USK age rating is “0 years and older”. The tool is free of charge, additional content can be unlocked with a paid subscription.

Further information: https://canva.com

This is what parents should pay attention to

If your child wants to use creative AI tools, you as a parent should pay attention to the following points:

• Dangerous content on the internetExplain to your child that AI tools have also been trained with content that may not be age-appropriate. If your child is younger, use AI tools together for the time being and then set clear rules and limits for their use together.
• Protecting privacy: Your child should not enter or upload any personal data or photos. Explain to them how they can protect their privacy online.
• Sustainability: Draw attention to the high energy consumption of AI programs, use prompts selectively and sparingly and thus promote conscious use.
• Error: The person in the photo has six fingers and the dog only has three legs? AI systems work with large amounts of data, but they can make mistakes. It is therefore important to check the results carefully and adjust them yourself if necessary.
• Diversity and stereotypes: AI systems are created by humans and reproduce stereotypes. Address the fact that AI systems often create stereotypical or discriminatory representations and encourage diversity in your child’s use of media.
• Cost trap: Many AI tools are initially free of charge, but entice users with extended, chargeable offers. Make your child aware of hidden fees or in-app purchases and do not store any means of payment in the app stores or in the program itself.