By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 1 October 2026
Most Super Intelligence chatbots, the kind of AI behind ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, are not meant for young children on their own. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Meta AI set 13 as the minimum age, and ChatGPT asks under-18s to have a parent’s permission. Claude is 18 and over. Gemini is the exception: a parent can switch it on for a child under 13 through Google Family Link. In Singapore schools, children in Primary 1 to 3 do not use chatbots for schoolwork; supervised, MOE-built tools start from Primary 4, inside the Student Learning Space (SLS).
The single most useful rule: if your child uses a chatbot at home, link it to your own account with the parental controls the provider offers, and keep it in a shared room rather than a bedroom. Controls help, but a parent nearby helps more.
Children and AI in Singapore: quick facts
| ChatGPT | 13+, parent’s permission under 18; parental controls since 2025 |
| Gemini | Under-13s only if a parent enables it in Family Link; 13 to 17 get teen protections |
| Claude | 18+ only |
| Copilot and Meta AI | 13+; parents can limit Copilot through Microsoft Family Safety |
| In school | No chatbots P1 to P3; supervised SLS tools from P4; more independent use in secondary |
| Screen time (MOH) | None under 18 months; under 1 hour a day for ages 3 to 6; under 2 hours for 7 to 12, outside schoolwork |
| If images are misused | Report to the Online Safety Commission; parents can file for under-18s |
The WahLiao Verdict
| Under 13 | Only with you beside them, and only where the tool allows it. |
| Teens | Link accounts, set quiet hours, talk about what it gets wrong. |
| Homework | Tutor, not ghostwriter. If the teacher says no AI, it is no AI. |
| Companion bots | Not for children. A chatbot is not a friend. |
| Photos of your child | Keep them out of chatbots and image apps. |
Minimum ages and parental controls, tool by tool
Every provider sets its own age rule in its terms, and they differ more than most parents expect. None of them checks age very hard at sign-up, so the rule is yours to enforce.
| Tool | Minimum age | What parents can control |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 13; under 18 needs a parent’s or guardian’s permission | Link accounts; quiet hours; switch off memory, voice mode and image generation; sensitive-content reduction on by default; safety alerts in rare serious cases |
| Gemini | Under 13 via Family Link, if a parent turns it on; 13 to 17 get “Gemini with teen protections” | Switch Gemini on or off per child in Family Link; parents get an email when the child first uses it |
| Claude | 18 (or older if local law requires) | Not designed for children at all |
| Microsoft Copilot | 13 | Block the app, limit time and switch off features such as image generation, voice and AI companions through Microsoft Family Safety or device controls |
| Meta AI | 13 | Teen protections by default; access to AI characters for teens paused since January 2026 |
Two details matter. ChatGPT’s parental controls do not let you read your teen’s conversations; they shape the settings, and OpenAI may notify you only in limited situations where there is a serious safety concern. And Google says its filters for children are “not perfect”, which is a fair description of all of them. Independent testers such as Common Sense Media have rated Gemini’s teen version as high risk for young users seeking mental-health support. Our explainer on how Super Intelligence works covers why these systems can sound sure and still be wrong.
How Singapore schools use Super Intelligence
MOE’s line is age-appropriate and deliberate. At lower primary, learning is “print-first”, with hands-on work and little technology; P1 to P3 pupils are not required to use chatbots for schoolwork. From Primary 4, AI use is “structured and limited, in class and under close teacher supervision”, using MOE-developed tools rather than general-purpose chatbots. In secondary school, students use their personal learning devices and AI more independently through structured tasks and project work.
The tools sit inside SLS. MOE names the Learning Assistant (LEA), feedback assistants such as Short Answer Feedback, and an Adaptive Learning System. The Learning Assistant has guard rails: a teacher must switch it on and can cap the number of interactions, and it nudges students to think rather than simply hand over answers.
On homework and tests, MOE has been clear through 2026. Where a task assesses what a student can do alone, “students will need to complete work without AI assistance”, and proctored examinations disallow AI. Teachers may allow it for some activities, such as generating ideas before a class discussion. So the rule at home is simple: follow the teacher’s instruction for that piece of work. MOE also shares resources for parents, including “A Parent’s Guide to Generative AI tools for Learning”, on Parents Gateway.
The rules protecting children online
Singapore now has three layers worth knowing. First, IMDA’s Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services covers the Apple App Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Microsoft Store and Samsung Galaxy Store. It took effect on 31 March 2025, and the stores had to have age assurance in place by 31 March 2026, at minimum working out whether a user is under 18 so that age-inappropriate apps can be restricted. MDDI has said such measures are “useful but insufficient” on their own.
Second, the Online Safety Commission began operating on 29 June 2026 under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025. It handles five harms for now: online harassment, doxxing, online stalking, intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, with eight more categories to follow. For image-based child abuse, victims can report directly at osc.gov.sg, and parents and guardians can file on behalf of anyone under 18. The Commission can order content removed or accounts restricted. Malay Mail reported that it received more than 500 reports in its first two months.
Third, MOH’s Grow Well SG guidance on screens: no screen use for infants up to 18 months, screens only for learning from 18 months to six years (under one hour a day outside school for ages three to six), and under two hours a day for ages seven to 12 unless it is schoolwork. Chatbot time counts as screen time.
Practical rules for parents
Homework
Good uses: asking the chatbot to explain a concept a different way, quizzing your child before a test, or checking an answer after they have tried. Poor uses: asking it to write the composition or solve the problem sum outright. A useful habit is “try first, ask second, explain back”: your child attempts the work, asks the tool only when stuck, then explains the answer to you in their own words.
Companion chatbots
Apps that play a friend, partner or character are built to keep people chatting, and they are a poor fit for children. Meta paused teen access to its AI characters in January 2026, and Microsoft lets parents switch off Copilot’s AI companions. Keep children on general assistants with parental controls, and talk openly if they start treating a chatbot as a confidant. If your child is struggling, a trusted adult, teacher or school counsellor is the right first stop, not a bot.
Images of children
Do not upload your child’s photos to chatbots, “AI photo” apps or face-swap tools, and think twice before posting school-uniform photos publicly. What you type and upload is stored by the provider; our guide to what happens to what you type explains the settings.
Deepfakes
Explain to older children that fake pictures, voices and videos of real people are easy to make, and that creating or sharing a sexualised fake of anyone, including a classmate, is serious. If your child is targeted, keep a record, do not share the material further, and report it to the platform and the Online Safety Commission. See deepfakes and the law and how to spot a voice-clone scam for the family version of that talk.
Children and AI: FAQ
What age can my child use ChatGPT in Singapore?
OpenAI’s terms set 13 as the minimum, and anyone under 18 needs a parent’s or guardian’s permission. Parents can link accounts and set quiet hours and other limits.
Can my child under 13 use Gemini?
Only if you turn it on in Google Family Link for their supervised account. Google says rollout is gradual and its child filters are not perfect, so stay close by.
Can I read my teenager’s ChatGPT chats with parental controls?
No. The controls change settings such as quiet hours, memory, voice and image generation. They do not show conversation history, though OpenAI may alert you in rare serious safety situations.
Are Singapore students allowed to use AI for homework?
It depends on the task. MOE says work that assesses independent mastery must be done without AI, and exams disallow it. Teachers may allow AI for some activities, so follow the instruction for each assignment.
What should I do if a fake or intimate image of my child is shared online?
Do not forward it. Report it to the platform and to the Online Safety Commission at osc.gov.sg, which accepts reports from parents on behalf of children under 18 and can order removal.
Read next
This page belongs to Super Intelligence. Next, read Super Intelligence for seniors.
Sources checked 1 October 2026: OpenAI, Terms of Use (minimum age); OpenAI Help Center, parental controls on ChatGPT; Google, Gemini Apps for children with Family Link; Common Sense Media, Gemini risk assessment; Anthropic, Consumer Terms of Service; Microsoft Support, Copilot age limits and parental controls; Meta, approach to teen AI safety; eSafety Commissioner, Meta AI guide; MOE, preparing students for an AI-enabled world; MOE, age-appropriate AI in schools (April 2026); MOE, purposeful AI use for learning (February 2026); MOE, purposeful AI use for learning (September 2026); MOE, parliamentary reply on AI and cognitive skills; MOE, parliamentary reply on age-progressive GenAI guidance; IMDA, Code of Practice for App Distribution Services; MDDI, reply on age assurance; Ministry of Law, Online Safety Commission begins operations; Malay Mail, OSC first two months; MOH, Grow Well SG screen use guidance. General information, not legal or medical advice. Last updated 1 October 2026.
