Comment: The dangers to children presented by artificial intelligence need to be nipped in the bud

Knowing how to adapt to the growing influence of artificial intelligence is daunting enough for the most tech savvy of us, so imagine what it must be like for a child.

A recent study found that about 70 per cent of children are already AI of some form or other, very often without even knowing it.

Search engines, messaging services and social media websites analyse the user’s data in order to create new material based on the information they have obtained.

At one level this might seem harmless. If a child is researching a subject for their homework, for example, it might be helpful for the the computer to come up with other information sources that might be relevant. The problem is, no-one has yet come up with a definitive answer on where to draw the line, and how these parameters should be enforced.

We have already learned how the cunning use of algorithms by the social media giants have created platforms which are addictive to young people, but the worrying thing is that this technology is only in its infancy. So-called ‘smart’ toys are growing in popularity, young children watch video-sharing platforms that recommend content through AI systems that track their viewing. Teenagers, and children even younger, are fed posts and content on social media designed to keep them scrolling. And, perhaps most disturbingly of all, youngsters are turning to AI companions for emotional support and connection.

There is also the growing problem of online misinformation, particularly from people with cynical motives determined to influence impressionable young minds.

Professor Sonia Livingstone, founder of EU Kids Online, says parents need monitor how their children are using generative AI. But for many who are still grappling to get to grips with email, that might be easier said than done.

As the technology expands at an exponential rate, it has become increasingly obvious that tighter regulation will be needed. And it is important to act fast, because once the genie is out the bottle, the harder it will be to put it back in.

And the argument for laws restricting internet access for the under-16s grows stronger by the day.