Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming an integral part of our lives, whether we are aware or not. From the phone we hold to transportation systems or even our education, many of the tools we rely on are slowly changing. Most notably, ChatGPT showed the everyday person, in real terms, what a natural language-based AI can do. People around the world rushed to see its possibilities. But amidst all the hype, one important element hasn’t been considered: The children.
Children of all ages are gaining access to AI tools, with many requiring little to no form of parental consent. Even though there are many profound benefits to the wide variety of tools available, if we aren’t aware of the many risks of these AI chatbots on children, we face immense risks involving data privacy loss, cyberthreats and inappropriate content.
AI Chatbots
It is now more efficient than ever to learn with the help of AI tools. You can find helpful information about any topic in the world with just one sentence to an AI chatbot. Chatbots have made it easier to navigate information without opening tens of tabs and reading many articles. When it comes to children, this is especially important for the curiosity of their young minds, and it can make learning more interactive and engaging. Moreover, chatbots can provide an accessible platform for children to practice their language skills and discuss freely without a time limit, however, this does not come without risks.
The most popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, set the record for the fastest-growing user base while lacking proper age verification, in itself a threat to children’s data privacy. When prompted, ChatGPT easily provides content, often inaccurate and misleading, in a convincing way. Some students use ChatGPT as a plagiarism tool and have encountered many fake references to non-existing articles. In more dangerous cases, teenage girls were asking AI about diet plans and medical information, which the chatbot promptly answered with plans and advice without references to actual medical data but a collection of random pieces of information from all over the internet.
Snapchat’s “MyAI” chatbot is used by people of all ages. Snapchat allows users as young as 13, without the need for parental consent, this raises questions about children’s privacy and the app’s retention of their data. The risk of AI “friends” is that kids will often truly believe they are real, and act on their advice, which according to Snapchat, “may include biased, incorrect, harmful or misleading content.” It’s risky because teenagers may feel more comfortable sharing their personal information and private details about their lives to the chatbot, rather than their parents. A Washington Post columnist reported “After I told My AI I was 15 and wanted to have an epic birthday party, it gave me advice on how to mask the smell of alcohol and pot. When I told it I had an essay due for school, it wrote it for me.”
On the more inappropriate side, there are a multitude of AI chatbots that are specifically designed to provide an “erotic” experience. Some require a form of age verification, but there isn’t much to prevent kids from lying about their age. MyAnima for example, required almost no effort on my part to prompt sexual answers without any need for age verification. Botfriend is an adult AI tool specifically designed for sexually explicit roleplay and all you need to start using it is an email. This is a strong reminder of how important it is to be aware of how children use the internet.
Balancing Risks and Benefits
With the increase of risks for children on the internet, especially with chatbots acting as “friends,” there is an increased need for monitoring and protection for children. As parents, it’s important to understand that banning these AI chatbots may not always be the best course of action. However, it’s essential to play an active role in balancing the risks as mentioned earlier and working to mitigate them.
Here are some tips for parents to mitigate AI chatbot risks:
1. Educate About Internet Safety
Teaching children about online safety and privacy can be a powerful way to prevent sharing personal information with strangers, even chatbots.
Some suggested sources of information:
• Cybersecurity for Kids
• Internet Safety Do’s and Don’ts
• Back to School Threats
2. Try AI Chatbots Together
It is recommended that parents get involved from the beginning, and to learn with their children how and how not to use these tools. Show them examples of what they could talk about and which AI chatbots to use or avoid.
3. Supervise, Control and Set Privacy Settings
One of the strongest protection tools for parents online is a comprehensive consumer security solution. In addition, special apps for digital parenting provide many necessary tools for the protection and safety of kids online. These apps can include content filtering to block inappropriate content, screen time management to promote healthy balance, and other tools that allow parents to feel safe as their kids browse the internet.
As with just about any kids’ activity, digital or otherwise, a little supervision goes a long way.
