Growing Up With AI: The Promise and Peril for Children Worldwide

Artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future; it has become a fixture of the present, and nowhere is that truer than among the young. According to UNICEF, children are adopting AI tools more than three times faster than adults, with at least 20 million young people across 10 countries already using the technology. From homework helpers to conversational companions, AI is reshaping how children learn, create, and seek support. But this rapid embrace carries profound risks, and the safeguards built for the social media era are struggling to keep pace. As governments and companies grapple with this new reality, one truth is clear: the choices made today will define childhood for generations to come.

Adoption Outpaces Understanding

The numbers are striking. Some 13 million children use AI to support their learning, turning to chatbots to explain lessons, brainstorm ideas, or check their work. More than 2 million, roughly one in 10, have sought advice from AI about personal worries, viewing these tools as non-judgmental listeners when they may feel unable to speak to others. For many young users, AI is not a novelty; it is a trusted daily resource. Yet this enthusiasm is matched by uncertainty. Children are diving in faster than society can build guardrails, and they are interacting with systems whose inner workings, data practices, and potential biases remain largely invisible to them and often to adults as well.

Learning, Comfort, and Connection

The appeal is understandable. AI offers instant answers, creative collaboration, and a reassuring availability that can feel empowering. For a child hesitant to ask a question in class, it levels the playing field. For someone navigating loneliness or anxiety, it provides an attentive ear. These benefits are real, and they speak to a genuine hunger among young people for support and knowledge. But when a child confides personal feelings or shares private details, they may not fully grasp where that information goes, how it is stored, or how it might be used now or years from now.

Hidden Risks in a New Landscape

UNICEF warns that children are not just eager users; they are also among AI’s most vulnerable. One-third of surveyed children worry AI will be used to spread misinformation or scams. One in four fears their own images or videos could be manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes. In Malaysia, UNICEF has specifically highlighted how AI can lower barriers to grooming and exploitation, enabling bad actors to craft convincing messages, fabricate material, and target victims with frightening ease. Unlike traditional social media, where interactions happen in shared spaces, AI tools often feel private and personal, making it harder for parents, teachers, or guardians to spot danger until it is too late.

Deepfakes, Misinformation, and Loss of Control

The threat extends beyond direct harm. Children’s own likenesses and voices can be taken, altered, and deployed in ways they cannot reverse. False narratives can be generated at scale, confusing young minds and eroding trust in what is true. And because many AI systems are trained on vast datasets drawn from the open internet, children may be exposed to biased, inappropriate, or harmful content or their own contributions may become part of the training material without their knowledge. They participate in these systems with far less power to set terms, opt out, or seek redress than adults do.

Malaysia Steps Forward

Nations are beginning to respond. Australia has introduced sweeping restrictions on children’s social media access; the United Kingdom is weighing broader protections covering AI services. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has enforced new rules under the Online Safety Act 2025, requiring platforms to implement age verification and “child safety by design” principles. These measures are vital, but they were crafted primarily with social media in mind. AI presents a different challenge: it is embedded in education, creativity, and everyday help-seeking, making it far harder to fence off or restrict without also cutting children off from genuine benefits.

Designing Safety From the Start

For this reason, UNICEF argues, protection cannot be bolted on later it must be built in from the beginning. This means strengthening laws against AI-facilitated exploitation; investing in research to understand how these systems affect developing minds; teaching AI literacy so children can evaluate what they see and share; and ensuring privacy and dignity are baked into every product. Technology companies hold particular responsibility: they must design tools that respect children’s rights, minimise data collection, and anticipate misuse rather than react to it after the fact.

A Decisive Moment

“This is a decisive moment,” UNICEF states. AI will shape children’s safety, privacy, wellbeing, and equal opportunity for decades. It can be a force for extraordinary good opening doors to knowledge, creativity, and support but only if it is guided by care, foresight, and a commitment to protect the most vulnerable. The question is not whether children will use AI; they already are. The question is whether they will do so safely, fairly, and with the power to shape their own digital lives.