Natalie Gibson
Founder & CEO
Natalie Gibson is the Founder and CEO of HeyOtto, an AI platform built to help children safely explore artificial intelligence with meaningful parental visibility and control. She has spent her career building products in highly regulated environments, with experience spanning privacy, security, and data protection frameworks including COPPA, GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-aligned systems. Her work has consistently focused on trust, safety, and building technology where compliance and user protection are foundational—not optional. Natalie started HeyOtto after experiencing firsthand how quickly children began using general-purpose AI tools that were never designed for them. As a parent, she saw a gap between what kids were capable of using and what families could responsibly trust. That gap became the foundation for HeyOtto. Today, she leads product vision and company direction with a focus on age-adaptive AI, parental sovereignty, and transparent system design. Her work centers on one belief: families should not have to choose between powerful AI and safe AI.
Areas of Expertise
Content by Natalie Gibson
Blog Posts
Does Your Kid's School Have an AI Policy? 7 Questions to Ask Before the First Bell
A June 2026 Georgia audit found 95% of teachers use AI while 27% got no training. Here are 7 questions parents should ask their kid's school before the first bell.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Use ChatGPT? Age Rules for Every Major AI (2026)
ChatGPT requires users to be 13+, with parental consent under 18. Here are the age rules for every major AI — and how each one actually enforces them.
HeyOtto Named Best Kid-Friendly AI in the 2026 SafeWise Kids Safety Awards
HeyOtto was named Best Kid-Friendly AI in the 2026 SafeWise Kids Safety Awards — the first year kids AI was recognized as a formal safety category.
Vibe Coding for Kids: Build Real Apps, Games, and Stories With AI — No Coding Experience Needed
Vibe coding lets kids describe apps, games, and stories in plain English — and AI builds them. A parent's guide to getting started safely on HeyOtto.
Kids Aren't Just Using AI Anymore — They're Building With It
Vibe coding is turning kids into creators — not just AI consumers. Here's why that matters and how the HeyOtto Marketplace gives them a safe place to build and share.
What 134 New Laws Tell Us About AI and Kids in 2026
134 AI bills across 31 states in 2026 — what parents need to know about student data privacy, classroom AI rules, and the parent awareness gap.
Why AI Companions Are Exploding: The Behavioral Shift in How Teens Use Chatbots
Teens are folding AI chatbots into daily emotional life. Pew data, the loneliness lens, and a practical guide for parents on the companion boom.
Emy BFF Is Shutting Down. Here's What Parents Need to Know & an Alternative
Emy BFF is shutting down. This parent guide covers safer alternatives, AI dependency risks, and practical steps to support children with anxiety.
Introducing HeyOtto for Schools
HeyOtto for Schools brings COPPA-compliant AI to schools and student AI clubs. See how kids are using it - from Socratic homework help to coding and study guides - with full educator visibility.
Can Kids Roleplay with AI? What Parents Need to Know (And Why It Matters)
Kids are asking AI chatbots to roleplay every day - but most platforms were not built with children in mind. Here's the research, the risks, and how Otto makes roleplay AI for kids actually safe.
Resources & Articles
Introducing the HeyOtto Marketplace: The App Store Where Kids Are the Creators
The HeyOtto Marketplace is a curated library of apps, games, tools and more—vetted for safety, age-appropriateness, and family values. Build it. Share it. Own it.
The CHATBOT Act: What the New Bipartisan Bill on AI and Children Actually Requires
Summary of the 2026 CHATBOT Act: family accounts, default safeguards for kids, teen rules, verifiable parental consent, ad targeting ban for minors, and federal studies — plus what it does not cover.
What Is Emotional AI Dependency — And Why HeyOtto Is Designed Differently
AI companion apps are engineered to make children emotionally dependent through constant validation, simulated friendship, and always-on availability. Here's what the research says: