There are risks when children use AI chatbots. Does Australia’s new ‘digital duty of care’ address them?

By Henry Fraser, Law Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology
Raffaele F. Ciriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

We know many children and teens are turning to AI chatbots to answer tricky questions, seek help and even find companionship. An eSafety survey of 1,950 Australian children aged 10 to 17 found 78% had used an AI chatbot and, of those, 54% used them for personal or social reasons.

But is this safe? And will the new digital duty of care bill, currently before federal parliament, help protect young people online from chatbots?

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There are risks when children use AI chatbots. Does Australia’s new ‘digital duty of care’ address them?

What are…Read complete article© The Conversation - Monday, October 26, 2026

What are…

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© The Conversation - Monday, October 26, 2026