Internet Matters

“𝘈𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” As children increasingly turn to AI chatbots for schoolwork, advice and even companionship, we risk leaving them to navigate this new technology without proper guidance. In our latest report, Me, Myself & AI, we call on Government to support schools to lead the way in AI education by embedding AI literacy and critical thinking into the curriculum at all key stages. Our key recommendations include:   • Integrating AI literacy into teacher training   • Issuing guidance for schools to support the safe, responsible use of AI for schoolwork  • Providing accessible classroom resources and certifying AI tools for use in schools In the clip below from our recent webinar, Eleanor Davies (Policy Advisor, Children's Commissioner for England ) and Rachel Huggins (Co-CEO, Internet Matters) discuss how schools, alongside Government and industry, can support children’s safe and responsible use of AI. 👉 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘀: https://bit.ly/3J940NN 👉 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿: https://bit.ly/4l6VdcK #AIChatbots #OnlineSafety #InteretMatters #ChildrensCommissionerforEngland

Today marks an important milestone for children’s online safety as the Online Safety Act’s Protection of Children Codes come into force. Read our statement on why this milestone matters, what must happen next and how Internet Matters is supporting parents and children.

With age checks coming into force tomorrow, watch our video (creating in partnership with Verifymy) explaining what they are and how they work.

🚨Our latest report finds that vulnerable children* are using AI chatbots in different and more personal ways than their non-vulnerable peers. 📊 They are more likely to use AI chatbots in emotionally-driven ways such as for escapism, friendship and therapy.  🧠 These uses by children present unique risks such as blurred boundaries between real and artificial relationships.   🧠 Our latest report calls for urgent action from government and industry to ensure these tools are safe for all children. 🔎 Read more in Me, Myself & AI: http://bit.ly/4l0siqR *We refer to children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), who receive special educational needs (SEN) support, or who have a physical/mental health condition which requires professional help as ‘vulnerable’. We recognise that there are multiple understandings of the term vulnerable, and this definition is for the purposes of this report. 

The search for our next Online Safety Champion is complete! A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible schools across the UK who took part in this year’s challenge. We received over 5,500 entries and the creativity, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm shown by pupils has truly been inspiring. We’re thrilled to announce: 1st Place - Lent Rise Primary School. Awarded a £7,000 donation, courtesy of Digital Matters sponsor Tesco Mobile, plus an inspiring workshop with award-winning children's book author and illustrator Rob Biddulph! Year 5 pupil, Ameya will also see her Online Safety Champion, Kitty come to life on the Digital Matters platform. We had a fantastic time visiting the school last week with Tesco Mobile and Rob - it was brilliant seeing all the pupils getting involved! Congratulations to our runners-up: 2nd Place - Valence Primary School with Lilly's Online Safety Champion, Nesukii. 3rd Place - Holy Family Catholic Primary School with Dylan's Online Safety Champion, Jeremy. It has been a wonderful end to the school year, showing the tremendous work teachers are doing to provide young pupils with crucial online safety skills and confidence as they navigate the digital world.

🚨 Happening TODAY! 🚨 It’s your LAST CHANCE to register for our webinar on how children are using AI chatbots. Join us from 11am–12pm BST for a vital discussion. We’ll be sharing new research findings from our report, Me, Myself & AI, and discussing how to protect children from the risks of AI chatbots. Our report calls for: ✅ Robust age assurance on platforms not built for children ✅ Stronger safeguards and safety-by-design for AI chatbots ✅ Clearer guidance by schools, and by Government for parents teachers ✅ AI literacy embedded in the curriculum and teacher training ✅ Targeted support for vulnerable children who rely on AI chatbots in unique ways We’ll also be joined by expert panellists to explore what industry, government and third sectors can do to help children benefit safely from these fast-evolving tools. 🆓 Don’t miss this free session - sign up now: https://bit.ly/4kAOTup 📘 Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/4l0siqR

🚨We are excited to announce the launch of our new report, Me, Myself & AI: Understanding and safeguarding children’s use of AI chatbots 🚨 This is one of the first reports to focus on how UK children are already using AI chatbots for schoolwork, advice, and even companionship. But despite the rapid uptake among children, protections have not kept pace. Our researchers find that many children are engaging with these tools without sufficient safeguards or adult support, raising urgent questions about safety, regulation and responsible design. Key findings include: ⭐64% of 9-17 year olds use AI chatbots, often without age verification despite typical 13+ age limits. ⭐23% of child users seek advice from chatbots; one in three feel like they're talking to a friend (50% for vulnerable children). ⭐Children are being exposed to explicit and age-inappropriate content via AI chatbots, despite this content being prohibited by providers. ⭐ Only 18% of children recall multiple teacher discussions about AI chatbots, though 42% use them for schoolwork. ⭐ While 62% of parents worry about AI-generated content accuracy, only 32% have discussed content trustworthiness with their child. 📘 Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/44y3fq5 Join us for our webinar on the report on Thursday, 17 July, 11am–12pm: https://bit.ly/4kAOTup

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar on Thursday 17th July, 11am-12pm, exploring how children are engaging with AI chatbots. As AI tools become part of children's everyday digital experiences, it's crucial we understand their impact – from new opportunities to potential risks. Join us for a one-hour session where we will: ✅ Reveal key findings from our new research ✅ Host an expert panel discussion ✅ Explore how policymakers and industry leaders can support safer digital spaces for children Free to attend – sign up here: https://bit.ly/4kAOTup #OnlineSafety #AI #ChildSafety #Webinar #DigitalWellbeing

We are very happy to welcome Verifymy as a partner at such an important time in the UK's online safety conversation.

A fantastic lunch and learn with our very own Sheena Peckham to parents at Paramount. She talked about the online safety landscape and shared some practical tips they can use to keep their families safe online. If your organisation is looking for something similar, get in touch here: https://lnkd.in/ejYuNUsW