Editorial
Garbage In, Garbage Out:
Teaching Young Children About AI
Guest Authors: Steve Shepherd and Samantha Meghawry
Book six is still in development, so consider this a preview rather than an announcement. The topic is AI, and the concept we've settled on is one this audience will recognise instantly: garbage in, garbage out. Fizz wants to make a birthday card and turns to AI for help. Her first attempt is vague, and the result is useless. Pixel helps her see why: an AI needs clear, honest instructions just as much as any person does. She tries again, properly this time, and it works. Fizz realises she was the creative one all along. The AI was only ever the assistant.
That's the whole lesson, and we think it holds up as well for adults as it does for young children. Vague prompts get vague results, whatever your age. The thinking still has to come from you. It's the same principle behind good data going into a model and good instructions going into a request, just told as a story about a birthday card instead of a training deck or a technical spec.
One thing worth saying plainly, given the subject: we haven't used AI to write a single word of this story. The books are written entirely from scratch by the two of us. AI has a role in this project, helping with feedback and formatting, including some of what you're reading now, but never in generating the stories themselves. It felt important to hold that line, particularly in a book about teaching children to think clearly about where their
information comes from.
About the D.O.G Books
Children are entering the digital world earlier than ever, often before they have the experience or language to recognise risk. The D.O.G. books make online safety accessible at exactly the right time, using memorable stories and relatable characters to explore sharing, privacy, misinformation, gaming and screen time. Crucially, they do more than warn children; they build emotional resilience, critical thinking and the confidence to seek help.
The books are available at thedoguk.com
Steve Shepherd
Co-Author and Online Safety Specialist for D.O.G. books.
Working alongside Samantha Meghawry, he helps write the books and shape their safeguarding themes, drawing on three decades in policing, defence and digital resilience to turn complex online risks into clear, practical lessons for children and families.
Samantha Meghawry
Founder and Creative Director, Little Star Design Studio
Creator of D.O.G books
Drawing on seventeen years’ experience in design, education and creative learning, Samantha combines storytelling, emotional wellbeing and online safety to help young children navigate digital life with confidence.
