Are AI chatbots banned for children in the UK?

Not in general. In June 2026 the government said it would bar under-18s from chatbots that primarily offer sexual or romantic role-play, and require age checks for intimate features in other chat apps. It also plans mandatory regular breaks for under-18s. General assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini remain available to teenagers.

Is it a problem if my child treats a chatbot as a friend?

Not necessarily, but it's worth noticing. If a child starts relying on an AI for comfort or advice, it can point to something they're not getting elsewhere. The answer is usually more conversation, not less: ask what they talk to it about and what they find helpful.

What should I ask my child about AI chatbots?

Which ones they use and what for. Whether one has ever said something that worried them. Whether they've acted on its advice. And who they'd talk to if something it said upset them.

Guides · What's changing

AI chatbots and children: what UK parents need to know

In a year, AI chatbots went from homework helper to confidant for a lot of children. Here's what we know, what the UK is doing about it, and what's worth talking about at home.

4 min read · Published 28 September 2026 · Last reviewed 28 September 2026

Roo writing at a desk at dusk under a hanging lamp

In short

Most children this age already use them. In a survey for Safer Internet Day 2026, 81% of UK 11 to 16-year-olds said they use AI chatbots, and almost a third of those said one felt like a friend. The UK has announced it will bar under-18s from chatbots built mainly for sexual or romantic role-play, and plans mandatory breaks for under-18s. General assistants remain open to teenagers, so the most useful protection is still an open conversation at home.

Key facts

81% of UK 11 to 16-year-olds use AI chatbots (Vodafone, February 2026).
31% of those say a chatbot feels like a friend.
Under-18s will be barred from chatbots built for sexual or romantic role-play (announced June 2026).

How many children use AI chatbots?

Most of them, by secondary school. Research by Vodafone for Safer Internet Day 2026, a Censuswide survey of 1,000 children aged 11 to 16 and 1,000 parents, found:

81% of 11 to 16-year-olds use AI chatbots.
31% of those said a chatbot felt like a friend.
33% had shared something with a chatbot that they wouldn't tell their parents, teachers or friends.

Why it matters

A chatbot is always available, never tired and never cross. For a child who's worried, lonely or just bored, that's appealing, and sometimes genuinely helpful. The risks come from the same place: a chatbot can give confident advice that's wrong, and it can't notice what a person who knows your child would notice.

What the UK is doing

Romantic and sexual role-play. On 19 June 2026 the Technology Secretary announced that under-18s will be barred from chatbots that primarily offer sexual or romantic role-play, with age checks required for intimate features in other chat apps.
Breaks. The government's fact sheet says there will be mandatory regular breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots, and that it will consider all options, including a ban, for chatbots that give dangerous mental health advice.

What the rules don't cover

General assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini stay open to teenagers without an age gate. Reporting on the announcement also pointed to gaps: general companion apps, characters made by other users, smaller apps, and design that encourages a child to keep coming back all fall largely outside it. Rules help. They won't do the whole job.

What to talk about at home

Keep it curious rather than alarmed:

"Which AI things do you use? What's it good for? Has it ever said something that felt off?"

It also helps to agree a simple rule together: anything a chatbot says about health, feelings or safety gets checked with a person.

Kairoo

A screen-time companion that isn't a chatbot.

"Talk to Kairoo" only uses lines written in advance and fixed rules, and anything the rules don't cover goes to you. Kairoo holds the deal you and your child agreed, fairly, every time.

Get Kairoo on iPhone Start with the free agreement Or start with the free agreement Tell me when Android is ready

Two apps, no adverts. iPhone now, Android soon.

Questions parents ask

How many children use AI chatbots?: Most secondary-age children. Vodafone's research for Safer Internet Day 2026 found 81% of 11 to 16-year-olds use AI chatbots. Of those, 31% said a chatbot felt like a friend, and 33% said they had shared something with one that they wouldn't tell their parents, teachers or friends.
Are AI chatbots banned for children in the UK?: Not in general. In June 2026 the government said it would bar under-18s from chatbots that primarily offer sexual or romantic role-play, and require age checks for intimate features in other chat apps. It also plans mandatory regular breaks for under-18s. General assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini remain available to teenagers.
Is it a problem if my child treats a chatbot as a friend?: Not necessarily, but it's worth noticing. If a child starts relying on an AI for comfort or advice, it can point to something they're not getting elsewhere. The answer is usually more conversation, not less: ask what they talk to it about and what they find helpful.
What should I ask my child about AI chatbots?: Which ones they use and what for. Whether one has ever said something that worried them. Whether they've acted on its advice. And who they'd talk to if something it said upset them.

Sources

Safer Internet Day 2026: almost a third of children who use AI chatbots see them as friends, Vodafone UK, February 2026
Why the UK's romantic chatbot and social media ban falls short, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 19 June 2026
Fact sheet: new rules to protect children online, GOV.UK, updated 18 September 2026
AI chatbots, Parent Zone

Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Kairoo checks these pages when the rules or the research change; if you spot something out of date, tell us at hello@kairoo.family.