Update on AI risks for under 16s – ‘young people deserve a childhood’

A landmark consultation to improve children’s lives online will consider the impact of AI chatbots, and what action can be taken to the reduce the risks that come with them

The problem of children becoming emotionally dependent on AI chatbots will be looked at as part of new action on social media.

A landmark consultation to improve children’s lives online will consider the impact of chatbots, and the risks that come with them. It comes with many children in the UK increasingly using AI in their day-to-day lives.

The Government says research has warned that vulnerable young people could be at risk of becoming entangled in emotionally dependent relationships with some chatbots.

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This is especially risky if they share intimate thoughts, or believe the AI cares about them. The consultation will also consider measures to combat the harms children might face including direct messaging, stranger-pairing tools, and live streaming. Ofcom research found that 57% of UK children aged 3-17 have used livestreaming apps or sites, with this increasing to around 80% 13-15-year-olds.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Children’s lives online aren’t just affected by what they see on social media, they spend time across a whole range of online spaces, each carrying its own risks. That’s why we’re launching the most ambitious consultation of its kind, looking at a sweep of measures to make every part of children’s online lives safer. We are determined to give young people the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future in an age of rapid technological change.”

Last year researchers from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) carried out a large-scale safety test on the pervasive ChatGPT. After creating ChatGPT accounts for three 13-year-old personas, themed around mental health, eating disorders and substance abuse, researchers received alarming and dangerous health advice.

The consultation – covering a range of options – will open next week and will invite parents, young people, teachers and industry, as well as experts, to have their say on what protections should be implemented to give the next generation a better childhood.

At the same time, ministers are moving to act quickly on the results of the consultation – to ensure the protections for children can take effect within months, not years.

Other options being considered include mandatory overnight curfews to help children sleep better — and determining what age such curfews should apply to.