Benefits and risks of children using AI Chatbots

SGGPO October 24, 2023 17:11

While AI Chatbots have many significant benefits, without being aware of the potential risks these tools pose to children, users face greater risks of personal data loss, life threats, and inappropriate content.

Parents need to guide children to use the internet safely.

Learning is now more efficient than ever with the help of AI tools. Users can find useful information on any topic in the world with just a word with AI Chatbot.

In this context, children of all ages around the world are having access to AI tools, yet these tools require little or no form of consent before use.

AI chatbots have made it easier to navigate information without opening dozens of tabs, reading countless articles and for children, this is especially important with their curiosity and AI can help them engage better in learning.

Furthermore, AI provides a platform that allows children to hone their language skills and discuss freely without time limits, however, this also comes with risks.

Referring to online content, Mr. Noura Afaneh, Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky pointed out certain risks when using AI Chatbots. Among them, ChatGPT has set a record with the fastest growing number of users, but does not verify the age of users, which is a threat to children's data privacy.

Furthermore, sometimes the content provided by ChatGPT is not completely accurate and can easily lead users to receive false information. This includes fake references and non-existent articles, which also contributes to ChatGPT becoming a plagiarism tool for some students.

Additionally, Snapchat’s “My AI” chatbot is also a popular chatbot among children because the app allows users as young as 13 to use it without parental controls, which raises questions about children’s privacy and the app’s retention of their data, Noura Afaneh gave as an example.

One of the risks is that children will mistake AI for a real friend and act on its advice, which “may include biased, inaccurate, harmful, or misleading content.”

As parents, it is important to understand that banning the use of these AI Chatbots is not always the best way to protect children as children can always be exposed to new content online so parents need to take an active role in balancing the above risks and working to mitigate them.

Tips for parents to minimize risks from AI Chatbots:

• Teach children about internet safety: Teaching children about online safety and privacy is an effective way to prevent sharing personal information with strangers, even chatbots.

• Experience AI Chatbot with your children: Kaspersky encourages parents to guide their children on how to use it, as well as raise awareness about what questions should and should not be asked of AI Chatbot.

• Monitor, control, and set privacy settings: One of the most powerful online protection tools for parents is a comprehensive security solution. Additionally, parenting apps for the tech age provide much-needed resources to protect children online.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/loi-ich-va-rui-ro-khi-tre-em-su-dung-chatbot-ai-post711163.html