With Safer Internet Day taking place on Tuesday 10 February, young people in Warwickshire are being encouraged to stay safe and act responsibly when using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This year’s theme, ‘Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI’, highlights how tools such as voice assistants, chatbots and algorithms are shaping daily life.
It also encourages open conversations between young people, teachers, parents and carers about AI’s influence on the information we see, how we learn, and the potential risks of misuse, including the creation of realistic scams or inappropriate images.
Warwickshire County Council’s Community Safety Team, working with Safer Warwickshire partners and Child Friendly Warwickshire, has used AI to create a song and animated film designed to help younger children understand how to use AI safely – see https://youtu.be/-vtVqwmB2YY.
Schools, parents and carers are encouraged to share the video and use it to prompt discussions about responsible use of technology.
A countywide competition for primary schools has also been launched, inviting schools to record pupils singing or dancing to the song and to create related posters, poems or other creative work.
The winning school will receive a monetary prize for equipment or technology, and their entries will be promoted by Warwickshire County Council, Safe in Warwickshire and Child Friendly Warwickshire.
Councillor Dale Bridgewater, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Chair of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board (SWPB), said:
“Safer Internet Day is an important chance to remind everyone how to use technology safely and responsibly.
“In Warwickshire, we’ve used AI to create a new song that shows how these tools can be helpful when used in the right way. It also helps children learn about the risks of new technologies.”
Safer Internet Day is coordinated nationally by the UK Safer Internet Centre and is the UK’s largest celebration of online safety.
Teachers, parents and carers may find the following questions helpful when starting conversations about AI:
- What’s your favourite thing to do online?
- Have you ever used an AI tool? How did it make you feel?
- What do you like or dislike about AI?
- Do you have any concerns about AI?
- What advice would you give your friends about using AI?
- Who would you talk to if you saw something worrying online?
- What more can I do to help you feel safe online?
More information about Safer Internet Day 2026 is available at: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2026
Watch the Safer Internet Day song video at: https://youtu.be/-vtVqwmB2YY
Further online safety advice can be found at www.safeinwarwickshire.com and www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk.