Ireland's online safety charity has voiced concern about children's use of AI chatbots in a recent annual report, according to Irish broadcaster RTE on Tuesday.
Pointing to the sharp rise in AI chatbot usage among 8-to 15-year-olds, CyberSafeKids' new report expresses concern and calls for stronger regulations at the EU level.
Based on a survey of more than 9,000 children, the charity's annual Trends & Usage Report warned that young children are being exposed to misinformation, breaches of privacy, and harmful advice.
Research also displayed that about 28% of 8-12-year-olds and 26% of 12-15-year-olds had encountered disturbing content or contact online, most often on YouTube and Roblox for younger children, and on TikTok and Snapchat for older teens.
While 47% of 8-12-year-olds did not tell a parent when something online upset them, that figure rose to 73% among 12-15-year-olds.
"We are still struggling to regulate social media effectively, and those same mistakes are being repeated with the unchecked rise of generative AI. We need urgent action, not just in Ireland, but across Europe," CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney said.
