As kids flip to AI chatbots for solutions, recommendation, and companionship, questions emerge about their security, privateness, and emotional growth
23 Jan 2026
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4 min. learn
AI chatbots have change into a giant a part of all of our lives since they burst onto the scene greater than three years in the past. ChatGPT, for instance, says it has round 700 million weekly energetic customers, lots of whom are “younger individuals.” A UK examine from July 2025 discovered that just about two-thirds (64%) of kids use such instruments. The same share of oldsters is fearful their children assume AI chatbots are actual individuals.
Whereas this can be a slight overreaction, reliable security, privateness and psychological issues are rising on account of frequent use of the know-how by kids. As a dad or mum, you possibly can’t assume that every one platform suppliers have efficient child-appropriate safeguards in place. Even when protections do exist, enforcement isn’t essentially constant, and the know-how itself is evolving sooner than coverage.
What are the dangers?
Our youngsters use generative AI (GenAI) in numerous methods. Some worth its assist when doing homework. Others may deal with the chatbot like a digital companion, asking it recommendation and trusting its responses as they might an in depth pal. There are a number of apparent dangers related to this.
The primary is psychological and social. Kids are going by way of an unimaginable interval of emotional and cognitive growth, making them susceptible in numerous methods. They could come to depend on AI companions on the expense of forming real friendships with classmates – exacerbating social isolation. And since chatbots are pre-programmed to please their customers, they could serve up output that amplifies any difficulties younger individuals could also be going by way of – like consuming problems, self-harm and/or suicidal ideas. There’s additionally a danger that your little one spends time with their AI that edges out not solely human friendships, but in addition time that ought to be spent on homework or with the household.
There are additionally dangers round what a GenAI chatbot might permit your little one to entry on the web. Though the principle suppliers have guardrails designed to restrict hyperlinks to inappropriate or harmful content material, they don’t seem to be all the time efficient. In some instances, they could override these inner security measures to share sexually express or violent content material, for instance. In case your little one is extra tech savvy, they could even be capable to ‘jailbreak’ the system by way of particular prompts.
Hallucinations are one other concern. For company customers, this may create important reputational and legal responsibility dangers. However for teenagers, it might end in them believing false info offered convincingly as reality, which leads to them taking unwise selections on medical or relationship issues.
Lastly, it’s essential to keep in mind that chatbots are additionally a possible privateness danger. In case your little one enters delicate private and monetary info in a immediate, will probably be saved by the supplier. If that occurs, it might theoretically be accessed by a 3rd occasion (e.g., a provider/companion), hacked by a cybercriminal, or regurgitated to a different person. Simply as you wouldn’t need your little one to overshare on social media, one of the best plan of action is to reduce what they share with a GenAI bot.
Some purple flags to look out for
Absolutely the AI platforms perceive and are taking steps to mitigate these dangers? Nicely, sure, however solely up to a degree. Relying on the place your kids dwell and what chatbot they’re utilizing, there could also be little in the best way of age verification or content material moderation occurring. The onus, subsequently, is certainly on mother and father to get forward of any threats by way of proactive monitoring and schooling.
First up, listed here are a couple of indicators that your kids might have an unhealthy relationship with AI:
- They withdraw from extracurricular time spent with family and friends
- They change into anxious when not capable of entry their chatbot, and will attempt to cover indicators of overuse
- They speak in regards to the chatbot as if it had been an actual particular person
- They repeat again to you as “reality” apparent misinformation
- They ask their AI about severe situations equivalent to psychological well being points (which you discover out about by accessing dialog historical past)
- They entry grownup/inappropriate content material served up by the AI
Time to speak
In lots of jurisdictions, AI chatbots are restricted to customers over 13-years-old. However given patchy enforcement, you might have to take issues into your personal fingers. Conversations matter greater than controls alone. For one of the best outcomes, think about combining technical controls with schooling and recommendation, delivered in an open and non-confrontational method.
Whether or not they’re in school, at dwelling or collaborating in an after-school membership, your kids have adults telling them what to do each minute of their waking lives. So attempt to body your outreach about AI as a two-way dialog, the place they really feel comfy sharing their experiences with out the worry of punishment. Clarify the risks of overuse, hallucinations, information sharing, and over-relying on AI for assist with severe issues. Assist them to grasp that AI bots aren’t actual individuals able to thought – that they’re machines designed to be partaking. Educate your children to assume critically, all the time reality examine AI output, and by no means substitute a chat with their mother and father for a session with a machine.
If vital, mix that schooling piece with a coverage for limiting AI use (simply as you may restrict use of social media, or display screen time normally) and proscribing use to age-appropriate platforms. Change on parental controls within the apps they use that can assist you monitor utilization and reduce danger. Remind your children by no means to share personally identifiable info (PII) with AI and tweak their privateness settings to scale back the chance of unintentional leaks.
Our youngsters want people on the heart of their emotional world. AI is usually a great tool for a lot of issues. However till your children develop a wholesome relationship with it, their utilization ought to be rigorously monitored. And it ought to by no means substitute human contact.
