A recent study reveals that nearly a third of parents in Britain have observed their children using AI-powered tools, such as ChatGPT, for conversational and emotional companionship, often in place of human interaction. This trend is particularly pronounced among children grappling with significant emotional challenges, such as the loss of a parent.
One mother, identified as Louise, shared that her nine-year-old son, who lost his father in a car crash, turned to ChatGPT to discuss his grief. The child found the AI's responses more understanding than those of his peers, stating, "He thought it was the only 'person' that had understood him in a long time." This experience prompted Louise to seek help for her sons, but she noted the difficulty in finding age-appropriate explanations for their trauma.
Louise's younger son recounted the entire story of his father's death to the chatbot, asking questions about legal proceedings and the driver involved. Her 12-year-old son, meanwhile, used the AI to explore his anxieties about sharing his grief with school friends, fearing bullying or social isolation.
"It just shows how trusting both of them were with that AI agent," Louise stated. "At that age they can't spot that it's a machine talking based on an algorithm - not to help them."
Research from the non-profit organization Internet Matters found that 35 percent of children using AI chatbots reported feeling like they were talking to a friend, a figure that rose to 50 percent among vulnerable children. Twelve percent of these children specifically cited having "no one else" to talk to as their reason for using the bots. The report indicated that the number of children using ChatGPT has nearly doubled, from 23 percent in 2023 to 43 percent this year.
Parents are increasingly concerned about their children's ability to distinguish between AI-generated content and real-life interactions, especially when dealing with sensitive topics. Louise expressed the challenge of managing her children's online activities, particularly when schools encourage AI use for homework. "It's a really hard balance because it's a great resource to learn from but it's basically impossible to stop them from using AI for anything else too," she said.
While discussions around regulating AI for under-18s have occurred, concrete details remain scarce. ChatGPT has a minimum age requirement of 13, but its parent company, OpenAI, does not verify user ages. Although the AI can sometimes predict a teenage user and prompt age verification, there are no robust measures to prevent younger children from creating accounts. This places the primary responsibility for monitoring AI use on parents.
OpenAI stated that users under 13 should not use ChatGPT and that its models are designed to direct users to real-world support. A spokesperson noted, "Our thoughts are with the family for their loss. ChatGPT is only intended for users aged 13 and over. It is designed to provide an age-appropriate experience, including promoting real-world support and offline relationships."
Leyla Bilge, Global Head of Scam Research at Norton, commented on the evolving risks AI poses to children, suggesting that parents should acknowledge their children might know more about these technologies than they do. She emphasized the importance of open dialogue, regular check-ins about online experiences, and digital friendships to ensure children feel safe while maintaining their autonomy.