How to stay safe when you use AI

A laptop with writing and a picture on it.

What is AI?

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It is a computer program which makes words and sentences when you write something to it. AI can also make pictures and videos.

A group of people sitting around a laptop. Behind them are the letters AI and an image of a skeleton.

Lots of people use AI.

A laptop with an image of Google search on the screen.

When you use Google, you might see some words and sentences from Gemini. Gemini is the name of Google's AI.

Names of other AI you might know are ChatGPT and Grok. Grok is on Twitter or X.

A man looking at a piece of paper. Above him are words and letters.

AI can be useful if you want it to:

check your spelling
tell you what a long document is about
tell you how to do something in small steps
answer a question that is too difficult for Google.

It is important to remember that AI is not a real person.

A man with a red cross and his thumb down in front of an information sign.

AI sometimes gives people the wrong information.

A mobile phone with the words Popular Moon Is Cheese! and images of cheese on the screen.

AI sometimes makes things up because it wants you to keep writing to it.

A man holding up a tablet or ipad which has a picture of a woman on the screen.

Fake pictures

AI can make pictures and videos which are not real if someone asks it to make a picture or video.

The names of some programs which make fake pictures and videos are MidJourney, ChatGPT and DALL-E.

An arrow from a house with bins and a tree outside it to a house with nothing outside it.

AI can make changes to a real picture.

A woman with a thought bubble with a green tick and red cross inside it

It can be difficult to tell if pictures and videos online are real or fake.

The man in this picture is not real. The picture was made by AI.

A woman shrugging her shoulders with her hands out.

It is important to remember that pictures and videos you see online might not be real.

Why are people worried about AI?

Lots of people are worried about how many people use AI.

A collection of money in pounds and coins

Criminals sometimes use AI to trick or scam people. A scam is when someone tries to take your money by pretending to help you, or by offering you something which they are not going to give you.

A man with his hand cupped around his mouth talking, with a speech bubble over his head

AI can be used to sound like the voice of someone you know.

A picture of Kier Starmer at 10 Downing Street.

Some people are worried that AI will be used to make it look as if a famous person has said or done something that is not real.

Lots of people are worried about AI stealing other people's work. This is because AI learns from the work that other people have already done.

For example, some artists think they have found bits of their own work in pictures made by AI.

A passport photo of a bald elderly man with glasses and a dark suit

Photos of people made by AI use bits of photos of real people.

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Lots of people are worried they might lose their job and AI will do their job.

A water drop and a socket with a red zig zag beside it.

The computers that the AI companies use need a lot of electricity to run and a lot of water to keep them cool.

The Earth with a lady in front of it looking unhappy and her thumb down.

This is bad for the planet.

A magnifying glass with the letters AI in it.

Some people think there should be more research about AI and things put in place to keep people safe before AI is used everywhere.

A young man is pressing keys on a laptop

Some people are worried that people who might get hurt might start to talk to AI all the time instead of talking to real people.

A woman looking at her tablet with her hands on the sides of her head. She is looking upset.

AI has made some people try to think things which are dangerous or not good for them.

Tips about how to stay safe when you use AI

If you use AI, it is important to try to stay safe, especially if you have a learning disability .

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Here are some things to remember when you use AI:

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Always check any information from AI by asking someone you trust, or by looking in a place where you know the information is true.

A red cross in front of a bank statement, a baby with a calendar date and an envelope with a house.

Do not give any of your personal information to AI. For example your bank account details, your address or your date of birth.

A woman with her fingers nails in her mouth looking scared

If anything seems scary, strange or unsafe, talk to someone you trust before you do anything.

A woman and a man pointing to themselves with a red line between them.

People you talk to online might not be who they say they are. Lots of scammers use AI to trick people.

Always remember that AI is not a real person. It is a computer program and it can not help you like a real person can.

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Information and help

We have more information about staying safe online on our website .

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Internet matters is a website with lots of information about how to stay safe online.

We have a helpline for people with a learning disability, their family and carers.

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If you have any questions or are worried about online safety, you can contact the Learning Disability Helpline:

call us Monday to Friday on 0808 808 1111
email us at [email protected] 
fill in our online form