LOUTH, UK, August 4, 2026 – A recent warning from the United Nations Secretary-General that children should never become “guinea pigs for unregulated AI” has brought fresh urgency to the debate over artificial intelligence and young people, according to British author Simon H King. He believes the remarks mark a significant shift, placing the impact of AI on childhood firmly on the global agenda while highlighting the important role parents have to play.
For much of the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence, attention has focused on its impact on jobs, productivity, regulation and the technology’s future capabilities. Simon believes the conversation is now evolving to include the way AI could influence children’s everyday lives and development.
His latest book, What if the Next Voice They Trust Isn’t Yours?, explores what could happen when children begin relying on artificial intelligence not just for information or homework support, but also for guidance, comfort and companionship.
“The UN’s intervention is an inflection point,” Simon said. “It confirmed that protecting children in the age of AI is no longer a concern for some distant future. It is something governments, technology companies, schools and parents need to think about now.
“But safety is only part of the question. We also need to ask what place AI may come to occupy in a child’s life, and what happens when a machine that is always available becomes one of the voices they trust most.”
Simon says the book is not an argument against children using artificial intelligence. Instead, he believes young people will need the skills to understand AI, challenge its outputs and use it responsibly as it becomes an increasingly common part of everyday life.
He also stresses that parents do not need to become technology specialists overnight.
“I am a parent writing to other parents,” he said. “Most of us are already juggling work, family life and everything else that comes with raising children. We won’t know everything about AI, and our children may understand the technology more quickly than we do.
“What we can do is remain curious. We can sit alongside them, ask where an answer came from and help them understand that something sounding confident does not automatically make it true, wise or right for them.”
The book examines how AI could shape children’s curiosity, creativity, emotional wellbeing, exposure to misinformation, critical thinking and their developing sense of identity.
It also considers a challenge many families are likely to recognise. While AI can simplify daily life and provide instant support, Simon argues that convenience should never come at the expense of genuine human connection.
“Unlike us parents, AI doesn’t get tired or say, ‘Can we talk about this later?'” Simon said. “It can respond immediately and appear endlessly patient. That can be enormously useful, but it may also make it a persuasive presence in a child’s life.
“We can’t compete with a machine by trying to be faster. What parents can offer is a real relationship, lived experience and love. Our children don’t need us to be perfect. They need us to remain present and part of the conversation.”
The book’s foreword is written by Dr Laura Bishop, a psychologist specialising in human technology interaction and the mother of three teenage children.
Dr Bishop describes the book as arriving “at exactly the right time” and says today’s parents “have no choice but to become pioneers”. She argues that AI should support family values rather than replace them.
Simon believes that role should be shared rather than carried by individual families alone.
“We are all learning,” he said. “That’s why parents need to talk to one another and why this conversation cannot belong solely to scientists, engineers or policymakers. There is an important conversation to be had around the kitchen table too.”
What if the Next Voice They Trust Isn’t Yours? is available in paperback, hardback and ebook formats.
More information about the book and Simon’s work can be found at simonhking.co.uk. The book is available to purchase from Amazon UK.
