Artificial intelligence (AI) might not always be obvious, but is has quickly become a common part of our daily experience. In this article, the NSPCC examines what the rise of AI means for children, and offers some tips and support to parents.
Technology is developing at a rapid rate, and whether it’s an app on your phone to ‘fix’ a photo, or something you’re encouraged to use at work to help write an email, AI is more accessible than ever.
But while they might be useful when used responsibly, there is a worry that AI – and specifically AI chatbots – are shaping young people’s digital experiences.
This has reached a point where some children feel they are developing friendships with AI characters, which could have a potentially dangerous impact on healthy social development.
The NSPCC is concerned when we look at new and emerging technology, like generative AI, about the impact it will have on children’s safety, and our services are already being contacted by young people on the topic.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, Childline recorded almost 200 counselling sessions with mentions of AI related phrases.
What are the risks?
Generative AI – where content such as images and videos are created using an AI tool – is being used to create sexual abuse images of children, enable perpetrators to sexually extort and groom children, or sexually harass and bully children.
Chatbots have also created other forms of harmful content, encouraging eating disorders, sharing images glamourising self-harm or misrepresenting information to make it harder to tell what is ‘real’.
The NSPCC believes it is hugely important for parents, carers and professionals, like teachers, to understand not only the dangers of AI, but also how children and young people use it. Regular conversations can help with this, and if a young person feels comfortable sharing their online experience with you when there isn’t a problem, they will be more inclined to speak to you or seek support when there is one.
Recently, the NSPCC supported Vodafone’s Safer Internet Day campaign, which included a discussion about the benefits and dangers of AI and chatbots.
For families looking for support, the NSPCC and Vodafone have created a suite of resources to encourage families to have conversations around AI chatbot use, help build children’s media literacy and promote healthy digital wellbeing.
What can parents do to help keep children safe?
One of the top tips we have for parents who want to speak to children about using AI chatbots is to start with curiosity, not concern.
Ask which AI tools they use and what they find helpful or interesting about them while also sharing which ones you use too – this creates an open dialogue and helps you both understand each other’s experiences.
Talk about where AI is being used, the risks and benefits, and remind them that AI chatbots cannot have a real connection with humans.
Even if conversations feel personal or friendly, they do not have genuine emotions, and cannot replace a human connection with friends, family or trusted adults.
Remind them that while AI chatbots can be helpful for quick answers, they can also make mistakes, so it is always a good idea to verify important information from trusted sources, especially for school or health-related questions.
Likewise, not everything AI shows young people might be real – videos, text and images might look genuine, but common indicators like overly ‘perfect’ appearances, unusual body parts or movements or things that simply don’t quite look right may suggest they’re not real.
Privacy, online safety and further advice
As with all online safety conversations, it’s vital to discuss privacy and how important it is for children to keep personal information private and not to share anything that they wouldn’t with a stranger.
It can be fun to explore critical thinking and analysing a piece of AI-generated content together. Ask questions like: “Does this seem accurate?”, “Where might this information come from?” and “How could we verify this?”.
Most importantly, ensure they know they can talk to you or another trusted adult, like a teacher, if anything worries them online or offline.
*Further online safety advice for families is available at www.nspcc.org.uk, and adults with concerns about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk*Children can contact Childline 24/7 on 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk for advice, tips and confidential support about anything troubling them