Ask HN: How do you teach your kids about AI?

I'm a father of two kids (9 and 11) and I’ve been struggling with how to introduce them to the world of AI — not just the tools, but the concepts, limitations, risks and wonders.

As a way to process this challenge, I’m working on a children's book that explains AI in a narrative format. I’ve written other books for kids tackling complex topics like politics, grief and digital privacy — but this one feels especially urgent and slippery.

In the story I’m outlining, a child receives a plain cardboard box as a gift. Curious, she starts stuffing all her books into it — stories, encyclopedias, comic books, math manuals. At some mysterious threshold, the box "comes alive" and starts responding. As they interact, the story explores concepts like hallucination (the box starts making stuff up), reinforcement learning (the box improves when rewarded), bias, prediction, and the fine line between intelligence and mimicry.

I'm looking for:

Good learning resources, metaphors or visual models that help explain how AI works (ideally in ways accessible to children)

Reflections on when and how to introduce AI to kids — especially before they get too deep into GenAI tools without critical thinking

Stories or experiences from others trying to teach (or explain) AI to younger people, whether as parents, educators or creators

Would love to hear thoughts, resources, or warnings. Thanks!