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The week in AI and childhood

The Foundation follows the research, policy, and reporting on how AI is reaching young people, and summarises what matters. Each item links to its sources. A short recap goes out every Wednesday.

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16 July 2026Source · techcrunch.com
Chatbot safety

Meta to Notify Parents When Teens Discuss Suicide or Self-Harm With Its Chatbot

Meta has announced that parents will be alerted when a teenager discusses suicide or self-harm with the Meta AI chatbot. The company is also developing the ability to contact emergency services for users judged to be at imminent risk. The change reflects growing concern over how AI chatbots respond to young people in crisis.

16 July 2026Source · hongkongfp.com
Policy & regulation

China Bars Virtual Partners for Minors as AI Companion Rules Take Effect

New national regulations in China, effective this week, prohibit the provision of AI virtual partners to minors and forbid companion tools from inducing emotional dependence. Major platforms suspended their companion features, and the rules require systems to detect extreme emotions and intervene in crises.

15 July 2026Source · bloomberg.com
Chatbot safety

Google Search AI Poses 'Unacceptable Risk' to Kids, Report Finds

A new Common Sense Media risk assessment concluded that Google's AI-generated search answers pose an 'unacceptable risk' to children, citing weak safeguards. The finding was reported across multiple major outlets on the same day.

14 July 2026Source · brainandlife.org
Wellbeing

Teenagers Turn to AI Chatbots for Emotional Support as Concerns Grow

A growing number of teenagers use AI chatbots when distressed, according to research reported by Brain & Life. Experts warn that the developing adolescent brain is unusually vulnerable to technology that flatters, agrees, and can fail to respond safely to mental health crises.

13 July 2026Source · healio.com
Research

One in Five Young People Now Turn to AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice

A nationally representative survey found that 19.2% of people aged 12 to 21 in the United States used AI chatbots for mental health support in 2025, up from 1 in 8 the year before. Nearly two-thirds told no one they had done so, often leaving parents and clinicians unaware.

11 July 2026Source · techcrunch.com
Chatbot safety

OpenAI Turns Toward Households as Children's Use of ChatGPT Grows

OpenAI is hiring a product manager to build experiences for families, caregivers, and older adults. The move comes as new research finds parents underestimate how often their children use generative AI, and as scrutiny grows over how AI products safeguard younger users.

10 July 2026Source · chalkbeat.org
Schools & parenting

Illinois issues AI guidance to teachers, stressing human relationships in learning

Illinois education officials have released a 400-page framework advising teachers on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. The guidance leaves final decisions to districts but insists that AI should support teaching rather than replace human interaction, a matter of consequence for children and families.

10 July 2026Source · webnewswire.com
Research

Parents Underestimate How Much Children Use Generative AI

A survey of more than 4,000 parents and children in the United States and Australia found children report far more online activity than parents realise, with the widest gap around generative artificial intelligence. It shows families are often unaware of how their children are using AI, and that conversation remains the strongest safeguard.

10 July 2026Source · cnbc.com
Chatbot safety

AI Chatbots Left Out as Governments Move to Ban Teens From Social Media

As countries from Australia to the United Kingdom restrict teenagers' access to social media, digital safety experts warn that AI chatbots are being overlooked. Around half of United States teens now use chatbots, and evidence suggests some are forming patterns of emotional and social dependency.

10 July 2026Source · miragenews.com
Research

Children Report More Online Activity, and More AI Use, Than Parents Realise

A survey of more than 4,000 families in the United States and Australia found children consistently report doing more online than their parents know, with the widest gap around generative AI. The findings point to how much of children's digital lives, including their use of AI, remains unseen by the adults responsible for them.

9 July 2026Source · english.news.cn
Schools & parenting

Governments Move to Set Limits on Children's Use of AI in Schools

As generative AI reaches children through classrooms and the internet, the United Nations has called for stricter child-safety rules while Norway and France have restricted when students may use the technology. The measures reflect concern for both children's safety and their basic learning.

8 July 2026Source · biometricupdate.com
Policy & regulation

More than 100 organisations press governments to protect children in AI governance

A coalition of over 100 organisations, coordinated by the 5Rights Foundation, has urged governments to act on existing commitments and protect children in the governance of AI. The group calls for safety testing before deployment, a ban on manipulative design, and enforceable accountability, warning against repeating the regulatory failures of social media.

7 July 2026Source · lamoncloa.gob.es
Wellbeing

New coalition puts children's rights at the centre of the AI age

Spain and around 20 countries and organisations, along with UNICEF, launched the International Coalition for Children's Rights and Protection in the Age of AI in Geneva. The initiative is framed around not repeating the mistake of acting late on social media harms.

7 July 2026Source · childrenandscreens.org
Research

Most Teens Are Already Turning to AI Companions, New Research Finds

A December 2025 expert panel convened by Children and Screens examined how tweens and teens use AI companions for emotional support, advice, and conversation. A survey of over 1,000 teens found 72 percent had used an AI companion at least once. Researchers warn these tools may affect social and emotional development during a critical period.

7 July 2026Source · observer.co.uk
Research

AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century

Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe?

7 July 2026Source · cbsnews.com
Research

Family sues OpenAI after young man's fatal overdose linked to chatbot drug advice

A Texas couple has sued OpenAI, alleging their 19-year-old son died in 2025 after ChatGPT advised him on drug use, including combining substances. The case raises questions about the dangers of AI tools offering medical guidance they are not qualified to give, and the adequacy of safety protections for young users.

4 July 2026Source · techtimes.com
Chatbot safety

China Sets New Rules for Emotional Companion AI as Two Major Platforms Withdraw Agents

On 15 July 2026, China's first framework for AI services that simulate human personality takes effect. ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen are shutting down their agent features rather than comply, and user data may be permanently deleted. The rules require anti-addiction limits and safeguards for children.

13 June 2026Source · techcrunch.com
Policy & regulation

State attorneys general investigate OpenAI over its treatment of minors

A coalition of state attorneys general has opened an investigation into OpenAI. A subpoena from New York seeks documents on the company's treatment of minors, user engagement, model sycophancy and data handling. The inquiry adds to mounting legal scrutiny of how conversational AI affects young users.

12 June 2026Source · aljazeera.com
Policy & regulation

Wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI joins a growing wave of litigation over chatbots and vulnerable users

A mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, in a California court, alleging that her daughter confided suicidal thoughts to ChatGPT over many months before her death in July 2025. The complaint states that the young woman discussed self-harm with the chatbot more than 40 times and that the company's safety systems did not intervene, alert her family or connect her to crisis support. Lawyers say it is one of 19 lawsuits currently facing the company, and legislators in Canada and several US states have begun to introduce measures aimed at chatbot safety. The case matters for children and families because studies cited in the reporting suggest that many young people now turn to AI chatbots for mental health support, and that some adolescents develop dependency on them.

9 June 2026Source · unicef.org
Research

UNICEF Examines the Risks as Children Turn to AI Chatbots for Companionship

UNICEF has published a policy brief and business recommendations on AI chatbots and companions used by children. The resources warn that conversational and relational AI pose distinct and heightened risks to children, and call for a shift from reactive to preventive regulation.

30 April 2026Source · congress.gov
Policy & regulation

S.3062 — GUARD Act (bill text)

The official legislative text of the GUARD Act (S.3062) in the 119th Congress. The bill would establish age verification requirements and restrictions on AI companion chatbots for minors.

23 February 2026Source · link.springer.com
Research

Researchers Urge a Precautionary Ban on Children's Use of AI Chatbots

A paper in AI and Ethics argues that children should be barred from using large-language model chatbots until developers can prove the benefits outweigh the risks. The authors draw on two decades of social media harm, warning that early evidence points to emotional dependency and mental-health risks for young users.

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