Norton has published research showing that 30% of UK parents have noticed their child turning to AI-powered tools for help, conversation or emotional companionship instead of a real-life person. The findings add to broader concern about how children are using digital services.
The study, based on a survey of 2,001 adults in the UK, also found concern over whether children can recognise unreliable or fabricated material created by artificial intelligence. Some 30% of parents said they were worried their child does not understand that AI can generate inaccurate or misleading information, while 40% were not confident their child could tell the difference between AI-generated content and real content.
Another 28% said their child had formed an online friendship with someone they had never met in real life. The figures point to a broader shift in how some children are using chatbots and other digital tools not only for information, but also for personal interaction.
Parental concern
Concern was strongest around manipulated content. Some 71% of parents were worried AI could be used to create fake images or conversations involving their child, while 47% ranked AI-generated fake content among the online situations they worry about for their child.
Many said they had already changed how they manage their children's digital lives in response. Just over half, 51%, said they had taken active steps to reduce potential AI risks.
Among that group, 61% said they now monitor their child's online activity more closely, and the same proportion said they had spoken to their child about AI risks. A further 60% said they had restricted access to certain apps or platforms, 55% had limited screen time, and 52% had blocked or filtered certain types of content.
The survey suggests family conversations are moving beyond established concerns such as passwords, strangers and time spent online. Parents are now being drawn into discussions about digital impersonation, AI-generated imagery, online relationships and the difficulty of judging whether material is authentic.
Family experience
One parent in the study described seeing that change at home.
"I've certainly noticed my boys using AI to try and navigate some of their relationships with friends. Their dad has passed away, and I've seen them using ChatGPT for help on how to talk to their friends in new schools who might not know about their loss. It's the kind of thing they would have previously chatted about with me, and while my younger son does show me what he's talking about with ChatGPT, it's something I found out by chance with my eldest.
"Now that AI is part of our everyday lives, it's becoming their first port of call. I'm doing my best to step up my digital safety measures - no screens in the bedroom and very careful monitoring of what they're doing online - but like all parents, it's difficult to always keep an eye on what they're up to," said Louise Liddle, solo parent, Northumberland.
Her account reflects one of the research's central themes: AI tools are becoming embedded in everyday behaviour among children and teenagers, including in situations that previous generations might have handled through family conversations or friendships.
The findings come amid a wider debate in the UK about child safety online and the responsibilities of platforms and technology providers. That debate has increasingly expanded from social media and messaging apps to generative AI tools that can simulate conversation, produce text and create convincing but false images.
Advice and response
Norton is introducing an educational resource called The Bots & The Bees in response to the issues raised by the study. The material is intended to help families discuss AI-related risks and online behaviour.
Leyla Bilge, global head of scam research at Norton, said parents are trying to keep pace with a technology that is changing quickly.
"AI is taking the idea of stranger danger to a whole new level. Parents have spent the last couple of years trying to keep up with the new risks AI poses to their children, all as the tech continues to evolve. I know parents will be concerned, and while the UK government is doing its best to help through initiatives such as the social media ban, that is not a blanket solution to our worries.
"But there are practical steps parents can take to protect their kids from AI threats and more. Firstly, acknowledging they may actually know more than you is a good way to get the conversation started. Not shying away from regular check-ins about things they've seen online, friends made in the digital space, and confusing interactions they may have had will be key to keeping an open dialogue that makes them feel safe while still feeling they have their freedom."
The survey was conducted online in the UK, and the parent findings refer to respondents with children under 18.