Child Safety Officer
Bettina Townsend
Bettina Townsend
The dangers of AI companions
Child and adolescent interactions with AI companions online carry real safety risks. A clear understanding of these dangers helps parents, family members and educators to look out for the safety of children in our care.
AI companions simulate conversation, empathy and attention in ways that can feel deeply personal to a child. This creates several concerns:
Emotional over‑attachment — Children may form strong bonds with an AI companion that always responds, never gets tired, and adapts to their preferences. This can distort expectations of real relationships and reduce motivation to build human connections.
Difficulty distinguishing real from artificial — Younger children often struggle to understand that an AI companion has no feelings, intentions, or moral understanding. They may treat it as a friend or a person of influence.
Privacy and data‑exposure risks
AI companions often collect data to personalise interactions. For children, this can create long‑term privacy concerns:
Oversharing personal information — children may reveal names, locations, routines, family details, or vulnerabilities without understanding the consequences.
Data trails — information shared with AI systems may be stored and analysed, creating a digital footprint the child cannot control.
Targeted content shaping behaviour — personalised responses can subtly influence preferences, beliefs or habits, especially when a child is still forming their identity.
Safety and exploitation concerns
While reputable AI systems include safeguards, risks still exist:
Exposure to inappropriate content — even filtered systems can occasionally produce unsuitable responses.
Impersonation risks — children may not recognise when they are interacting with a legitimate AI versus a malicious actor pretending to be one.
Dependence during vulnerable moments — children may turn to AI during emotional crises, where human support is essential.
The Actual Purpose of Friendship
AI chatbots can imitate friendship, but it’s far from the real thing. Real friends are harder, but they are the ones who make us wiser, kinder and stronger. Choose people over programs every time.
Questions to think about or discuss with your child
How could you help students think critically about the difference between AI ‘companions’ and real friendships?
What qualities make a true friend, and why can’t AI possess them?
How might digital companionship change the way students see real relationships, and how can we guide them back toward genuine connection?
Bettina Townsend
Child Safety Officer – Ulverstone Campus
