Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way we work and helping us save time, but a new report from the internet safety organisation Internet Matters warns about the risks the new technology poses to children’s safety and development.
Titled ‘Me, Myself & I: Understanding and safeguarding children’s use of AI chatbots’, the study surveyed 1,000 children and 2,000 parents in the UK, where AI chatbots are being used by almost 64 per cent of children for help with everything from homework to emotional advice and companionship. For those wondering, the test was primarily conducted on ChatGPT, Snapchat’s My AI and character.ai.
The study raises concerns over the use of these AI chatbots by children for emotional advice and emotionally driven ways, like friendship and advice, something these products were not designed for. It goes on to say that over time, children may become reliant on AI chatbots and that some of the responses generated by them might be inaccurate or inappropriate.
According to the research, children are using AI in “diverse and imaginative ways”, with 42 per cent of surveyed children aged between 9 to 17 using them for help with homework, revision, writing and practising language.
Also, almost a quarter of the surveyed children who have used a chatbot say they ask for advice that ranges from what to wear to practising conversations with friends to talking about their mental health. Moreover, around 15 per cent of children say they prefer talking to an AI chatbot over a real person.
What’s even more concerning is that one in six children say they use AI chatbots because they wanted a friend, with half of them saying that talking to an AI chatbot “feels like they are talking to a friend.”
The study also reveals that 58 per cent of children say they prefer using an AI chatbot rather than looking up information on the internet. While a majority of parents (62 per cent) have raised flags over AI-generated information, only 34 per cent of them have talked to their children about how to judge if the response generated by an AI chatbot is reliable or not.
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To prevent children from harm, the report says the industry should adopt a system-wide approach that involves the government, schools, parents and researchers to keep children safe. Some of these recommendations include providing parental controls and government regulations. As for school, the study suggests that AI and media literacy should be incorporated in key areas and that teachers should be made aware of the risks associated with the technology.
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