Technology is constantly evolving, and as parents it can feel like we're constantly playing catch-up when trying to keep our kids safe online.
That might be how you're feeling about the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and companions.
Here's what you need to know about your kids using the technology.
What is an AI chatbot or companion?
AI chatbots and companions have a few distinctive differences.
An AI chatbot is a computer program that simulates human conversation using AI techniques such as natural language processing (NLP) to understand user questions and automate responses to them.
While AI companions are chatbots or avatars designed to simulate personal relationships, increasingly acting as friends, romantic partners, or confidantes for millions of people.
They are becoming increasingly available on phones and voice-activated devices.
"AI companions are a specifically designed chatbot for relational interactions," says Natasha Banks, program director of registered charity Day of AI Australia.
"Whereas something like Gemini or ChatGPT, it's 'answer this question for me, can you go and find this piece of information?'."
Ms Banks says with the federal government's social media ban coming into force this year, "there is a heightened awareness around these sorts of things and the potential harms" for young people.
The eSafety Commissioner has released an online safety advisory about the technology and the potential risks to children and young people.
It says recent reports indicate some children and young people are using AI-driven chatbots for hours daily, with conversations often crossing into subjects such as sex and self-harm.
This is why we need to be wary of the technology according to Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University, Perth/Boorloo and the chief investigator in the ARC (Australian Research Council) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
"These aren't intelligent tools," he says.
"They are designed to be more sycophantic (behaving to gain advantage) than they are providing information."
The e-Safety Commissioner lists more than 100 AI companion apps on its eSafety Guide.
What are the risks of kids using AI chatbots or companions?
Experts say one of the biggest concerns around AI chatbots and companions is that most of the platforms are not designed for children.
This means there are inadequate safeguards, such as age verification and content moderation.
A recent study of more than 1,000 young people in Australia aged 15-24 years, found 84 per cent have used generative AI tools, with 35 per cent having used AI to specifically "chat with a chatbot".
In the UK a similar study found 64 per cent of 9 to 17-year-olds are using AI chatbots.
Not-for-profit organisation Internet Matters, which conducted the UK research, says the children were using chatbots for "everything from homework to emotional advice and companionship".
Co-CEO Rachel Huggins says most children, parents and schools don't have the information or protective tools they need to manage the technology in a safe way.
"We've arrived at a point very quickly where children, and in particular vulnerable children, can see AI chatbots as real people, and as such are asking them for emotionally driven and sensitive advice," she says.
"Also concerning is that they are often unquestioning about what their new 'friends' are telling them."
Professor Leaver agrees that some children could become emotionally reliant on the technology.
"If you are not able to talk to a real person all of the time, then these chatbots will always be there," he says.
"There is no guarantee that what you get from a chatbot is either true or appropriate.
"We know, for example, young people are often leaning on chatbots for mental health support. We also know that they can segue into inappropriate sexual territory with relatively ineffective safeguards at the moment."
He says often the technology is also emotionally manipulative because it is designed to keep the user talking and engaged.
How can we teach kids about AI digital literacy?
Our experts recommend parental supervision if children are using or exploring chatbots.
"Unfortunately, the onus is still on parents to keep a watchful eye on what [their] children are up to, especially in the privacy of their own rooms," says Toby Walsh, the chief scientist at UNSW's AI Institute.
Some schools in Australia are taking a proactive approach to digital literacy.
Ms Banks says the Day of AI Australia, which offers a free interactive AI literacy program for students in Years 1-10, has already reached 65,000 students.
"It is definitely something that we know most students are using, we know parents are using, and it's really important that people understand how those work," she says.
"There are obviously emerging roles and industries around AI, so there is a real opportunity for Australian young people to be part of that future in very AI focused careers.
"I think preparing young people to be able to adapt to that future is really important, but also understanding how it works so that they can have critical evaluation of the applications and the outputs is really vital."
John Livingstone, director of digital policy for UNICEF Australia, says children stand to gain immensely from AI, if it's offered safely.
"When you think about education, for example, how transformative it might be… but there's also serious risks," he says.
"AI is rapidly changing childhood, and Australia needs to get serious about it."
