Children, Parental Responsibility and Informed Consent in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In an article for Family Law Journal, Baljinder Bath, barrister at 4PB, and Bianca Farthing, Director of AIEdify, examine the rapidly increasing use of artificial intelligence by children and the serious safeguarding concerns this raises for family law practitioners.

Drawing on recent research from the MIT Media Lab, as well as the tragic cases of Sewell Setzer and Adam Raine in the United States, the authors explore the potential risks posed by AI chatbots to children’s cognitive development, socialisation and mental health.

The article considers how existing legal frameworks, particularly the Children Act 1989, can be applied to address emerging questions around welfare, consent and parental responsibility in order to better safeguard children in an increasingly digital environment.

Baljinder and Bianca argue that children’s use of AI has real-world consequences and should be taken seriously by practitioners in both private and public law proceedings. The piece offers timely insight and practical reflection on an issue that is fast becoming unavoidable for those working in family law.

Read the full article in the Family Law Journal