Government consultation on children’s online safety to look at AI chatbots
The government said the consultation on improving children’s online safety and wellbeing will also include investigating the dangers posed by artificial intelligence chatbots.
The initiative, which starts next week, will seek advice from experts, parents, young people, teachers and industry representatives on what measures should be implemented to improve children’s online safety, a spokesperson for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said on Saturday.
The risks posed by the increased use of AI tools by children are expected to come to the fore, including the “emotionally dependent relationships” young people may form with AI chatbots.
“As conversational AI systems become increasingly realistic, an increasing number of young people are using chatbots as friends,” said a DSIT spokesperson.
“Emerging research has warned that vulnerable young people may be at risk of becoming entangled in emotionally dependent relationships with some chatbots.
“In particular, they can reveal intimate thoughts and attribute qualities such as empathy and caring to AI systems,” DSIT added.
“The implications of this are not fully known, so the consultation will invite views on whether some features of AI, such as its realism and how it can mimic human relationships, may pose risks to children.”
The meeting will also consider other online tools such as direct messaging, stranger matching tools and live streaming, and their potential risks to children.
Ofcom research found that 57% of children aged 3 to 17 in the UK use live streaming apps or sites, rising to around 80% for children aged 13 to 15.
The DSIT added that the Government aims to “act quickly based on the results of the consultation” so that measures can come into force “within months, not years”.
“Children’s online lives are not only affected by what they see on social media, they also spend time in a wide range of online spaces, each of which carries its own risks,” Technology Minister Liz Kendall said.
“That’s why we’re launching the most ambitious consultation of its kind and examining a range of measures that will make every aspect of children’s online lives safer.
“We are determined to give young people the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future in an age of rapid technological change.”
DSIT said mandatory nightly curfew could also be considered to help children sleep better, and at what age such curfews should be imposed.
Under the Online Safety Act of 2023, which comes into effect in 2025, social media companies are already required to consistently enforce age limits and protect child users.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, described the consultation as “a crucial opportunity to decisively strengthen online safety laws and advocate for children and families”.
“Parents are rightly demanding action and they need the Prime Minister to fix this,” he added.
“This means following the evidence rather than implementing simple solutions that will quickly resolve and create a false sense of security.
“This must be a down payment on making the safety and welfare of children a non-negotiable cost of doing business in the UK.
“It’s time to make product security disruptions a thing of the past with the new Online Safety Act featured in the King’s Speech, giving parents and children confidence that meaningful change is on the way.”
The Molly Rose Foundation was founded in 2018 by bereaved father Ian Russell after his 14-year-old daughter Molly committed suicide by viewing harmful content on social media.
Speaking on Saturday, shadow science secretary Julia Lopez called for a complete ban on social media for children under 16.
“This consultation is a means to save the Prime Minister from another sticky situation – a developing rebellion by Labor MPs who want to vote for our Conservative Party plan to block children’s access to harmful social media,” he said.
“This is a plan that has cross-party support and is supported by parents, children and schools across the country.
“Keir Starmer’s instinct is to always try to sidestep an issue rather than grasp the nettle and show firm and determined leadership.
“Conservatives remain clear on our position: Childhood must be protected. We will ban social media for under-16s and remove phones from schools immediately.”
