Common Sense Media Releases New Report on EU Families' Concerns about AI
PARIS, November 9, 2026— Today, Common Sense Media announced growing initiatives in Europe to protect children in the AI era, including new research released with SocialSphere that highlights concerns about an AI future across families in France, Germany, and Italy. While teens are more optimistic than their parents about AI, both groups worry about its impact on jobs and education and strongly support tougher AI safeguards and accountability.
Key findings include:
–Teens use AI more frequently than their parents and are twice as likely to say AI will benefit society. But both teens and parents have serious concerns. For example, 69% of teens are interested in AI tools that help them learn, but 79% say they need to learn how to think critically without AI, 63% expect AI to make them less creative, and 59% anticipate becoming so dependent on AI that functioning without it will be difficult.
–Just over half of teens say AI will help society in the long run. But 43% of teens expect AI to make it harder to find jobs as adults, compared with just 9% who expect it to make finding work easier.
–Teens and parents alike support stronger laws and protections and question AI companies’ commitment to safety: 84% of parents and 77% of teens support requiring safety testing before AI tools are released to minors; 76% of parents and 70% of teens support establishing a government oversight body for AI safety; and 84% of parents and 83% of teens support holding AI and social media companies accountable for serious harm or death to children.
–Attitudes toward AI vary slightly across France, Germany, and Italy. Italian teens use AI the most and also report the most concern. German parents have the least confidence in AI companies and the strongest support for schools teaching responsible AI use. French teens use AI the least, and French teens and parents are the most likely to say AI has no place in schools.
“While disparities exist, the shared priorities are clear: prepare young people to use AI effectively, preserve their ability to think for themselves, and provide protections families can rely on," said SocialSphere Founder and CEO John Della Volpe. "Families recognize what is at stake, as the call for proper AI safeguards and education is resounding. This shared ground gives policymakers, educators, and tech companies a clear mandate to act.”
“Parents and teens alike understand the need for crucial AI safeguards and accountability for the serious harms AI can potentially cause,” said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. “Families across the globe recognize that without rigorous teen protections and education about responsible use, AI will continue to wreak havoc on the wellbeing of young people everywhere.”
As families across Europe call for stronger AI safeguards and accountability, and on the eve of the Paris Peace Forum and global Child Summit this week in Paris, Common Sense Media also announced the opening of a new Europe Office in Paris, France, to be led by Adrien Taquet, former French Secretary of State for Children and Families.
Common Sense Media – home to the only global Institute dedicated to youth AI safety – will aim to advance the organization’s leadership across the continent and globally in protecting children in a digital and AI world. The Youth AI Safety Institute recently released significant evaluations of ChatGPT for Teens and Google Search, finding both to pose “unacceptable risk” for children under 18.
“There is momentum for making Europe a place where a new set of standards and regulation to better protect our children could emerge, and Common Sense Media has a lot to share and contribute, both in Brussels with the proposed EU Kids Act, and across the continent,” said Adrien Taquet, new Head of Europe for the organization.
“Preparing and protecting children to grow up in an AI driven world will require leadership and partnership across the US, Europe, and globally,” said Steyer. “I’m simply thrilled that Adrien will scale Common Sense Media’s mission across Europe.”
The key research findings can be found here and an overview is available here. The full report will be released November 17.
About the Youth AI Safety Institute and Common Sense Media
The Youth AI Safety Institute sets standards, conducts research, and independently tests the AI products children use most. It's part of Common Sense Media, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.5 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year.
The Youth AI Safety Institute is funded by both philanthropy and industry, including the makers of some of the technologies it evaluates. The Institute is solely responsible for its standards, research, and evaluations, and maintains complete editorial independence over published results.
Adrien Taquet is a former member of the French National Assembly (2017-2019) and former Secretary of State for Children and Families in the French government between 2019 and 2022. Under his mandate, several policies and legislations were passed in order to protect kids against violence, notably within the digital world, and to help families facing these emerging issues. Adrien is also a Board Member of UNICEF France, and he presides over the supervisory board of the Child Mind Institute - Robert Debré in Paris.
Contact Lisa Cohen ([email protected]) and Adrien Taquet ([email protected]) for interview requests.