Chris Sherwood, CEO of leading children’s charity NSPCC, has warned that the threat from generative AI could be worse for children than the impact of social media. His comments come as Childline, the helpline run by the NSPCC, has reported seeing young people increasingly mentioning AI abuse in their counselling sessions. Last year, Childline recorded 178 counselling sessions with mentions of AI-related phrases, according to new data. In a demonstration of how AI is already impacting the lives of young Britons, the top concerns where AI was mentioned were mental health issues, online safety issues such as bullying or sexual abuse, school problems, friendship issues and sex, and relationships and puberty.
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April 16, 2026
