Every fourth child over the age of 10 uses AI in Russia.

A quarter of children over the age of 10 in Russia already use neural networks, a study by Kaspersky Lab showed. According to his data, 25% of children in Russia over the age of 10 regularly use neural networks — boys do this more often than girls. These technologies are already essential for learning: 60% of children use neural networks for homework, 63% for information retrieval, 53% ask chatbots to explain complex material. But along with the benefits of neural networks, they also carry a new, alarming danger: harassment through deepfakes.

Deepfakes, fake audio or video recordings created by neural networks, have already reached a children's audience: 1% of children have encountered this type of harassment, and 5% have even experimented with their creation. This reverses the idea of cyberbullying: previously, children were protected from textual insults, now they have to fight against technologies that make bullying realistic, untraceable and psychologically destructive.

Experts warn that neural networks have become deeply embedded in children's lives, and adults urgently need to strengthen digital literacy. It is important not only to teach children how to use AI to study, but also to explain how to distinguish fake from reality, and why creating deepfakes is not just a "prank", but a malicious action. For children who have not yet developed critical thinking, deepfakes can become a serious injury — and this requires immediate attention.

Thus, neural networks for modern children are both an assistant and a threat. While they are solving educational tasks, they are also being used for attacks. And the main thing to remember is that behind every fake is a real child who may be in pain.

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On September 5, Elena Provozen, Director of Educational Product Development at edtech company MAXIMUM, told Izvestia that the ability to competently interact with artificial intelligence is important for modern schoolchildren. However, it is necessary not only to "use neural networks", but to know the rules for safe and competent work with them.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.