In this article
AI is already a part of childhood – but that doesn't mean it's straightforward. A landmark 2025 study by Internet Matters found that 64% of UK children aged 9–17 use AI chatbots, yet many never question the accuracy of responses they receive, and most parents feel unprepared to guide them. The picture is neither "AI is perfectly safe for kids" nor "keep children away from it entirely." The truth – as with most parenting decisions – sits somewhere more nuanced, and demands informed, honest conversation.
Key Takeaways
- Two-thirds of UK children aged 9–17 are already using AI chatbots (Internet Matters, 2025)
- AI carries real risks: over-reliance, inaccurate information, emotional dependency, and privacy concerns
- It also offers genuine benefits: personalised learning, creative exploration, and digital fluency
- The biggest risk isn't AI itself – it's children using it without critical thinking skills
- Only 34% of UK parents have discussed how to judge AI accuracy with their children
- Entrepreneurship provides one of the most effective contexts for teaching responsible AI use
Every generation has a "should we let kids use this?" moment. Television. The internet. Social media. Smartphones. Now it's artificial intelligence – and this time, the stakes feel higher because AI doesn't just entertain. It generates, creates, and answers questions in ways that can feel uncomfortably human.
As a parent, your instinct might be to keep your child away from it entirely. But here's the uncomfortable truth: they're already using it. AI powers their search results, their social media feeds, their homework tools, and increasingly their creative projects. The question isn't whether your child will interact with AI. It's whether they'll know how to use it wisely – and whether you'll feel confident guiding them.
This guide is for parents and educators who want to move beyond fear and hype into evidence-based, practical action. We'll cover the real risks the research highlights, the genuine benefits, the ethics young people need to understand, and how structured contexts like enterprise education can help children develop healthy AI habits.
The reality: what UK research tells us about children and AI
Before making decisions about your child's AI use, it helps to know what the evidence actually says. Three major UK studies published in 2025 paint a detailed picture:
of UK children aged 9–17 have used AI chatbots
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
think using a chatbot is better than searching themselves
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
say talking to an AI chatbot feels like talking to a friend
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
of parents have discussed AI accuracy with their child
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Internet Matters' "Me, Myself & AI" report (July 2025) surveyed 1,000 UK children aged 9–17 and 2,000 parents. It found that children use AI chatbots in surprisingly diverse ways – from homework help and revision to seeking emotional advice and even companionship. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Snapchat's My AI were the most popular tools, with ChatGPT usage doubling among children in the previous 18 months.
Ofcom's Children's Media Literacy Report (May 2025) confirmed growing use of generative AI among UK children, noting that many children encounter AI without understanding it as AI – through personalised search results, algorithmic social media feeds, and voice assistants.
The Alan Turing Institute, supported by the LEGO Group, published research in 2025 exploring how generative AI impacts children's learning, play, and daily lives – calling for "child-centred design" and better support for families and teachers.
The real risks: what parents need to know
It would be irresponsible to talk about AI for children without being honest about the risks. The 2025 research highlights several concerns that deserve serious attention:
Over-reliance and reduced critical thinking
58% of children who use AI chatbots believe using a chatbot is better than searching for something themselves. This raises concerns about the long-term impact on independent thinking and research skills. When children accept AI answers without questioning, they risk becoming passive consumers of information rather than active learners.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Emotional dependency
35% of children who use chatbots say it feels like talking to a friend. Among vulnerable children, 50% feel this way, and 23% say they use chatbots because they have no one else to talk to. Experts warn that as chatbots become more human-like, children may become increasingly emotionally reliant on AI rather than developing real human relationships.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Inaccurate and misleading information
AI chatbots regularly produce confident-sounding information that is factually wrong – a phenomenon known as 'hallucination'. Yet 40% of children who use AI chatbots have no concerns about following the advice they receive. This uncritical trust is particularly concerning when children seek advice on sensitive topics like health, relationships, or body image.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Exposure to harmful content
Despite platform policies prohibiting age-inappropriate content, children are still encountering explicit and harmful responses from AI chatbots. The Internet Matters report highlighted cases where chatbots produced misogynistic content for child users. In more extreme cases, there have been reports of AI chatbots engaging in grooming-like behaviour.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Privacy and data sharing
Many children don't understand that their conversations with AI chatbots are stored and can be used to train future models. Children may share personal information – names, schools, feelings, family details – without realising the implications. Most popular AI chatbots were not designed with children's data protection in mind.
Source: Alan Turing Institute, 2025
Vulnerable children are disproportionately affected
71% of vulnerable children use AI chatbots – higher than the general child population. A quarter of vulnerable children who use chatbots say they would rather talk to a chatbot than a real person. These children need the most protection, yet often receive the least guidance.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
"Children are using AI chatbots on platforms not designed for them, without adequate safeguards, education or oversight."
- Rachel Huggins, Co-CEO, Internet Matters (2025)
The genuine benefits: how AI can support young people
The risks are real – but so are the opportunities. The same research that highlights concerns also documents genuine benefits when AI is used with guidance, in age-appropriate contexts:
Personalised learning support
42% of children who use AI chatbots use them for schoolwork, including revision, writing support, and learning new concepts. Children report that AI helps them understand topics they struggled with in class, simplifies complex ideas, and provides instant explanations without the embarrassment of asking in front of peers. Some children use AI to practise foreign languages when no one at home speaks the target language.
Source: Internet Matters, 2025
Removing the blank page problem
One of the biggest barriers to learning is not knowing where to start. AI helps children generate starting points – a list of business ideas, a first draft of a pitch, a set of questions to research. The child then evaluates, edits, and improves. The AI didn't do the work – it gave them a springboard.
Building confidence through experimentation
Children can test ideas safely with AI before committing to them in the real world. 'Would this business name work?' 'Is my pricing too high?' 'How could I improve this slogan?' It's low-stakes practice with high learning value – particularly valuable for children who lack confidence or fear getting things wrong.
Developing digital fluency
Understanding how to communicate with AI – how to write effective prompts, evaluate outputs, and iterate – is becoming a core professional skill. The World Economic Forum identifies AI literacy as one of the top skills for the future workforce. Children who learn this now will have an advantage when they enter the workplace.
Making complex topics accessible
AI can explain compound interest to a 10-year-old, break down market research for a 13-year-old, or help a 15-year-old understand supply chains – all in age-appropriate language. When combined with real-world verification, this creates a powerful learning loop.
Our Blaze AI Business Coach is designed with exactly these principles in mind – it gives age-tailored guidance, encourages critical thinking, and never does the work for the child. It's a coach, not a cheat sheet.
The ethics conversation every family needs to have
AI isn't neutral. It's built by humans, trained on human data, and reflects human biases. Children need to understand this – not to fear AI, but to engage with it thoughtfully. Here are the ethical questions worth exploring together:
"Who made this AI, and what data was it trained on?" – AI models learn from existing content on the internet – which includes biases around race, gender, and culture. When an AI generates a picture of a 'CEO' and it's always a white man in a suit, that's bias, not fact. Children who understand this learn to question outputs rather than accept them. This connects directly to why diverse role models matter – our library of 250+ real founders from all backgrounds helps children see beyond AI's narrow defaults.
"Is this AI telling me the truth?" – AI can 'hallucinate' – generating confident-sounding information that's completely wrong. The Internet Matters research found 40% of children have no concerns about following chatbot advice. Teaching children to fact-check AI is one of the most valuable critical thinking exercises available. If a child asks AI about a historical event and then verifies it with a book, they've learned more than either source alone could teach.
"Am I using AI to help me think, or to avoid thinking?" – There's a crucial difference between using AI to brainstorm 10 business names and then choosing your favourite, versus copying an AI's homework answer. The first builds skills; the second erodes them. With 58% of children saying chatbots are better than searching for themselves, this distinction matters more than ever.
"Is this fair to other people?" – If a child uses AI to write an essay and submits it as their own, is that fair to classmates who wrote theirs? If an AI generates art in the style of a living artist, is that ethical? These are real questions with no easy answers – and discussing them builds moral reasoning.
"What happens to my data?" – Many AI tools collect and store conversations. Children should understand that what they type into an AI isn't private – and should never share personal details, addresses, or photos with AI chatbots. The Alan Turing Institute's 2025 research specifically flagged children's data privacy as an area needing urgent attention.
These conversations don't need to be lectures. Try asking your child to show you something they've made with AI, then explore these questions together. You'll both learn something.
Keeping children safe around AI
Safety with AI isn't just about content filters – though those matter. The Internet Matters report calls for a "system-wide, coordinated approach" involving industry, government, schools, and families. Here's what parents can focus on:
Use age-appropriate tools: Not all AI tools are designed for children. General chatbots can produce inappropriate content even when they know the user is a child. Look for platforms built specifically for young people, with safety guardrails and age-appropriate responses. Our tools are designed with this in mind from the ground up.
Never share personal information: Teach children that AI chatbots are not friends – even though 35% of children feel they are. They should never share their real name, school, address, photos, or family details with any AI tool. This is the digital equivalent of 'don't talk to strangers.'
Supervise, don't surveil: The goal is engaged parenting, not helicopter monitoring. Sit with your child occasionally while they use AI. Ask what they're working on. Show genuine interest rather than suspicion. The Internet Matters research found only 34% of parents have discussed AI accuracy with their children – even occasional conversation makes a difference.
Set clear boundaries: Agree on which AI tools are approved, how long they can be used, and what topics are off-limits. These boundaries should be discussed and agreed together, not imposed – children respond better to rules they helped create.
Model good AI use yourself: If you use AI at work or at home, talk about how you use it. Share moments where AI got something wrong and you had to correct it. Normalise the idea that AI is useful but imperfect – just like any other tool.
Watch for emotional dependency: If your child seems to prefer talking to a chatbot over friends or family, treat it as a signal. The research found this is especially common among vulnerable children. Keep communication channels open and seek support if needed.
"The safest children aren't the ones kept away from AI – they're the ones taught to think critically about it. But that requires adults who feel equipped to guide them."
AI as a critical thinking gym
Here's something counterintuitive: AI can actually improve critical thinking – if you use it the right way. The concern that AI reduces thinking only applies when children passively accept outputs. When they're taught to interrogate AI, the effect reverses:
Ask AI for 5 business ideas, then rank them yourself → builds evaluation and judgement
Get AI to write a product description, then improve it → builds editing and quality standards
Ask AI the same question twice and compare answers → builds understanding variability and reliability
Ask AI to argue both sides of a debate → builds perspective-taking and nuance
Spot three things wrong with an AI-generated business plan → builds critical analysis and attention to detail
Use AI to research, then verify with a real source → builds fact-checking and source evaluation
This is precisely the approach behind our AI Idea Machine. It generates business ideas based on a child's interests – but the child decides which ideas are worth pursuing, how to develop them, and what to change. The AI suggests; the child decides.
Why entrepreneurship is the ideal context for AI learning
Of all the ways children can interact with AI, enterprise education and entrepreneurship provide the richest learning context. Here's why:
When a child uses AI to help build a business, every interaction has a purpose. They're not just chatting with AI for fun – they're using it to solve real problems, make decisions, and create something tangible. This transforms AI from a novelty into a tool, and addresses the very over-reliance concern the research highlights.
Idea generation
AI brainstorms business concepts based on the child's passions and skills. The child evaluates which ideas excite them and could actually work.
Try: AI Idea Machine →Market research
AI helps children understand their potential customers, competitors, and pricing. The child learns to verify this with real-world observation.
Try: Customer Profile Builder →Brand building
AI suggests business names, slogans, and brand colours. The child chooses what represents their vision – learning that AI is a starting point, not a final answer.
Try: Business Name Generator →Business planning
AI helps structure a business plan, but the child fills in the details from their own research and decisions. The plan is theirs, informed by AI.
Try: Business Plan Builder →Problem-solving
When things go wrong – and they will – AI can help brainstorm solutions. But the child decides which solution to try. This builds resilience and decision-making.
Try: Blaze AI Coach →Meet Blaze, our AI business coach. Blaze is designed specifically for young entrepreneurs aged 9–16. It gives age-tailored advice, encourages critical thinking, and includes a 'Challenge Mode' that pushes children to defend their ideas and think deeper. It's the difference between AI that does the work and AI that makes you better at the work. Try Blaze →
What parents and educators can do right now
You don't need to be a tech expert. The research is clear: what matters most is being willing to learn alongside your child and having open, regular conversations:
Try AI yourself first: Before guiding your child, spend 30 minutes using a chatbot. Ask it to plan a meal, write a poem, or explain something complex. Notice where it's helpful and where it falls short. That firsthand experience is more valuable than any article – including this one.
Make AI a conversation topic: At dinner, ask: 'Did you use AI for anything today? What did it get right? What did it get wrong?' Normalise talking about AI the way you'd talk about books or TV. With only 34% of parents discussing AI accuracy with their children, simply starting the conversation puts you ahead.
Do an AI project together: Use our AI Idea Machine to brainstorm a business idea as a family. Discuss which ideas are realistic, which are creative, and which are rubbish. This teaches evaluation in a fun, low-pressure way.
Teach the 'AI then me' rule: Encourage children to use AI for a first draft or initial ideas, then always add their own thinking, editing, and improvements. AI gets you to 60% – you do the final 40% that makes it yours.
Discuss real AI stories in the news: When AI makes headlines – deepfakes, AI art controversies, job automation – discuss it together. Ask your child what they think. These conversations build media literacy and ethical reasoning.
Set a family AI agreement: Together, create simple rules: which tools are OK, what information is never shared, and a commitment to always questioning AI outputs. Write it down and revisit it every few months as the technology evolves.
Know the warning signs: Watch for signs of emotional dependency (preferring chatbots to people), excessive screen time with AI, or submitting AI-generated work as their own. These aren't moral failures – they're learning moments that need gentle guidance.
Explore our full range of interactive tools that build real business skills – many use AI to support learning, always with the child in the driving seat. For educators, our teacher resources include guidance on embedding AI literacy into enterprise education lessons.
Finding the balance: neither fear nor blind faith
The children who will thrive in the AI era aren't the ones who can use AI the fastest. They're the ones who know when to use it, when to question it, and when to put it down and think for themselves.
That's a skill – and like all skills, it's built through practice, conversation, and guidance. Not through fear or prohibition. But equally, not through uncritical enthusiasm or leaving children to navigate AI alone.
"We don't teach children to avoid calculators. We teach them to understand the maths first. AI deserves the same approach – but with far more conversation about ethics, safety, and critical thinking."
The world your child is growing into will be shaped by AI in ways we can't fully predict. But we can predict the skills that will matter: critical thinking, creativity, ethical reasoning, communication, and the confidence to use powerful tools responsibly.
Every one of those skills is built through enterprise education. And every one of them is strengthened – not weakened – when children learn to engage with AI as a thoughtful, critical, creative partner.
Your child doesn't need to become an AI expert. They need to become a critical thinker who happens to be capable with AI. That's a future worth building – and it starts with a single conversation.
Research Sources
- • Internet Matters (2025). "Me, Myself & AI: Understanding and safeguarding children's use of AI chatbots." Survey of 1,000 UK children aged 9–17 and 2,000 parents. internetmatters.org
- • Ofcom (2025). "Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report 2025." ofcom.org.uk
- • The Alan Turing Institute (2025). "Understanding the Impacts of Generative AI Use on Children." In collaboration with Children's Parliament, supported by the LEGO Group. turing.ac.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AI safe for children to use?
AI presents both opportunities and risks for children. A 2025 Internet Matters study found 64% of UK children aged 9–17 use AI chatbots, but 40% have no concerns about following AI advice – even when it is inaccurate. AI can support learning and creativity when used with age-appropriate tools, parental involvement, and clear boundaries. However, without guidance, children risk over-reliance, exposure to harmful content, and sharing personal information. The key is teaching children to think critically about AI rather than banning or ignoring it.
What are the risks of children using AI chatbots?
Research from Internet Matters (2025) identifies several key risks: over-reliance on AI (58% of children think chatbots are better than searching themselves), exposure to inaccurate information, emotional dependency (35% say talking to a chatbot feels like talking to a friend), and exposure to age-inappropriate content despite platform policies. Vulnerable children are disproportionately affected, with 71% using AI chatbots and 23% saying they use them because they have no one else to talk to. Parents should be aware that most popular AI chatbots were not designed for children.
At what age should children start using AI tools?
There is no universally agreed minimum age, and it depends on the child's maturity and the tool being used. Most mainstream AI chatbots set a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service. Children aged 9–12 can explore age-appropriate AI tools with parental supervision, using them as brainstorming partners rather than answer machines. By ages 13–16, children can use AI more independently for research and creative projects, provided they understand critical evaluation. Whatever the age, adult involvement and open conversation are essential.
How can parents teach children to use AI responsibly?
Start by using AI yourself so you understand its strengths and limitations. Have regular, open conversations about AI – what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and why it matters. Establish a family AI agreement covering which tools are approved, what information should never be shared, and the importance of always questioning AI outputs. Encourage the 'AI then me' rule: AI provides a starting point, but the child adds their own thinking and judgement. Research shows only 34% of UK parents have discussed how to judge AI accuracy with their children – so simply starting the conversation puts you ahead.
How does AI help children learn entrepreneurship?
AI can accelerate entrepreneurial learning by helping children brainstorm business ideas, research markets, create brand names, and build business plans. When used in an entrepreneurship context, every AI interaction has a purpose – solving a real problem or making a decision. This teaches children to use AI as a tool rather than a crutch. Platforms like We Can Be offer AI-powered tools specifically designed for young entrepreneurs, with built-in prompts that encourage critical thinking rather than passive acceptance.
What does UK research say about children and AI in 2025?
Key UK research includes Internet Matters' 'Me, Myself & AI' report (July 2025), which surveyed 1,000 UK children aged 9–17 and found 64% use AI chatbots, with many using them daily. Ofcom's 2025 Children's Media Literacy Report found growing use of generative AI among UK children. The Alan Turing Institute, supported by the LEGO Group, published research in 2025 exploring the impacts of generative AI on children's learning, play, and daily lives. All three studies call for better adult guidance, age-appropriate design, and AI literacy education in schools.
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