Guarding against gremlins

The safety of their children is a top priority for parents. However, this is no longer limited to physical spaces. In a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated almost every sphere of our lives, be it work or entertainment, fitness or leisure, ensuring the safety of the most vulnerable among us — children — in the virtual world has assumed critical importance. So when Microsoft revealed the findings of its Global Online Safety Survey 2025 recently, it quickly drew attention. Nearly 82 per cent of Indian teenagers, said the survey, have encountered online risks. This includes cyberbullying, inappropriate content for age, hate speech, and threats of violence. AI, however, is just a tool, and as cybersecurity experts have said, can also be used to create safe online spaces for children.

AI is a technology which can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. It can learn, reason and make decisions. The quick line-up of video recommendations on YouTube, for instance, is based on AI algorithms. So are the recommendations of people you may know on social media, considering you have a social media account. But in this day and age, who doesn’t? Even children have their own social media handles.

The risk here is that while AI is just a tool, it can be vastly misused when in the wrong hands. Narrating one such instance, Harpreet Singh Grover, a parenting coach, said that when he started following an account on Instagram on wildlife, he was surprised to see a link that led to pornographic content. “Now, imagine your child is interested in wildlife and starts following this account. A random title will show up one day along with a link, and once they click on that link, they will get exposed to inappropriate content for their age,” Grover, who has a podcast called The Curious Parent, said. More than 50 per cent of surveyed teenagers in India have faced violent content which is age-inappropriate and includes graphic images and gore, according to the Microsoft survey.

Keeping up with AI

Generative AI, which uses algorithms to create new content, including text, images and videos, can also be a risk. Delhi-based Mahima Chauhan, mother to a 15-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, said that she is particularly concerned about deepfakes — highly realistic digital media created by Generative AI. “My daughter has a social media account. All her friends do, and while I try to keep a tab on her online activity, I am not sure I can keep up with what AI, or people who use AI, can do,” Chauhan, an entrepreneur, said. “I am particularly concerned about deepfakes. If celebrities and other adults can fall victim to it, children are even more vulnerable!”

According to the non-profit, Child Rescue Coalition, parents should be aware of three AI dangers when it comes to children — AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), AI-driven online grooming, and thirdly, deepfakes and impersonation. “Stay informed and take practical steps to be tech-savvy parents—it’s a must in this digital age,” the organisation advises parents. 

Cybersecurity expert Harsukh Singh also advises parents to refrain from posting their children’s personal information and pictures online. “AI is just a tool and runs on the information that you feed. Publicly available images, like the one you post on social media, can be dangerously misused on the dark web,” Singh, who is a cybersecurity engineer, said.

Detect risks, identify threats

Having said that, AI can also be used to create safe online spaces for children. Since it is algorithm-based, it can detect offensive content, thereby combating risks such as age-inappropriate content or cyberbullying. For instance, Meta uses AI to detect and remove harmful content and identify potential threats.

Some schools are taking steps to make children aware of AI — its benefits and risks. Dr Shivani Kapoor, principal of Euro International, Jodhpur, for example, is in the process of conducting a session with a cybersecurity expert for students from classes 9 to 12. “Children with adequate information are less likely to fall victim to threats of cyberbullying or other risks. I am also planning a similar session for parents of our students. The key is: talk more, be aware and be safe,” she said.

Neha Saxena, counsellor at Air Force School, Allahabad, similarly said that there have been workshops at the school level to make children aware of the use and misuse of AI. “Schools are now organising workshops and awareness programmes on AI, but we still need more. For students as well as for parents,” Saxena, who is also a certified cybercrime intervention officer, said.

“There are many threats, but as a counsellor, I feel that with guidance and support from teachers and parents, children can cope with threats like photo-morphing, cyberbullying, etc.”

Gouri Gupta, director of EdTech in Central Square Foundation, a non-profit, also underlined the benefits of AI in making teaching-learning more engaging and effective. “Technology is democratising education. Technology and AI are enabling our children to learn better and teachers to teach better. I can understand the fear around AI, which is why AI literacy is important, so that it can be used as an effective tool to enhance teaching and learning,” Gupta said. One such initiative they have undertaken is AI Samarth, an AI literacy programme for government and affordable private school students, parents and educators. As part of this, CSF has partnered with IIT Madras to design a curriculum that will explain what artificial intelligence is, how to use it responsibly, its benefits, risks and associated safety concerns. In all, it is expected to reach more than five million students in grades 6-10, parents and educators across India.

So while AI can pose safety concerns, awareness and open communication between kids and parents can go a long way in averting risks.