For Safer Internet Day 2026, new research released by Nominet and the UK Safer Internet Centre found that 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.

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.

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