Responding to a new survey from the UK Safer Internet Centre and Nominet to mark Safer Internet Day, which found 12% of 13-17-year-olds said they already seen people their age using AI to create sexual images and videos of others, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“School leaders are concerned about this type of technology and its use against both children and school staff.

“Our members passed a motion at our conference last year calling for the creation and distribution of non-consensual deepfake content to be criminalised. We welcome the government’s recent move to do so. 

“While AI offers benefits and opportunities for teaching and learning, there are also risks. School leaders and teachers need ongoing support and funded training in using AI and helping pupils deploy the technology safely and productively inside and outside school.

“These findings highlight the importance of children developing skills like problem solving and critical thinking — to be questioning and able to identify good and bad information, biased perspectives and harmful content, as well as understanding the importance of data privacy and the risks of plagiarism.

“AI should be used to support and enhance learning, not simply to complete tasks, and that is true for both pupils’ work and teachers’ delivery of lessons.”