Research for Safer Internet Day 2026 reveals 60% of teens worry about AI being used to make inappropriate pictures of them
Nearly all young people aged 8 to 17 (97%) are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools with (58%) saying that AI makes their lives better, but 60% are concerned about someone using AI to make inappropriate pictures of them.
The research, carried out for Safer Internet Day (10th February 2026) by Nominet – the .UK registry and the UK Safer Internet Centre, polled 2000 young people (aged 8 to 17 years old) and 2000 parents and carers across the UK with questions about their attitude to the fast-evolving world of AI. This year, Safer Internet Day aims to start conversations about the safe and responsible use of AI, giving young people a voice in creating a safer environment for all online.
According to the research, 71% of young people say AI saves them a lot of time, while a growing number are using it for help and support, with 64% agreeing that AI is the best way to get advice quickly. Currently, 41% teens feel like people their age are relying heavily on AI for emotional support or help with emotional issues, while most one in seven (14%) say they use AI tools to discuss things they don’t feel they can talk to anyone else about.
Both young people and their parents identify issues related to the rapid growth of AI – with a third of parents and carers (33%) saying they are concerned about its impact on their children’s thinking and learning development. Nearly half of young people (49%) say that AI is making people their age less creative, while 35% say it has made them less creative personally.
When it comes to their studies, 73% of young people find AI useful and 54% said they use it to help with homework or studying. However, half (50%) of children say they’ve seen others their age using AI to do their school or homework for them. At the same time just 31% of parents believed their children were using AI to help with homework.
Will Gardner OBE, UK Safer Internet Centre Director, said:
“Young people wanted us to focus on the safe and responsible use of AI this year, because its adoption into our everyday lives is moving quickly. Our research shows how young people are excited by this incredible technology and are using it more than ever across many online services, but they still have concerns, questions and want to learn more to equip themselves to use AI safely and responsibly. Thousands of schools and other organisations are taking part in Safer Internet Day, and we hope this kickstarts conversations in classrooms and homes around the UK and helps young people be better supported when it comes to AI.”
Paul Fletcher, CEO, Nominet – who funded the research, added:
“This pace of change hasn’t been witnessed since the industrial revolution, so it’s essential we all get to grips with the possibilities and challenges that come with AI. It’s great that young people remain positive about the possibilities AI will bring them – but they are still concerned about the potential risks. No matter how quickly technology changes today’s normal, we should all take steps to ensure young people can benefit from AI – and parents don’t get left behind either.”
A detailed look into this year’s Safer Internet Day report is available here: http://saferinternet.org.uk/sid-research
