JTeen Launches Urgent Campaign on AI Risks and Teen Safety
London, UK – March 2025
JTeen, the award-winning organisation dedicated to supporting the emotional wellbeing of Jewish teenagers and young adults, has launched a high-priority campaign to address the emerging dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) in the lives of young people.
Through our anonymous support service, we’ve observed a troubling trend: teenagers forming emotional and even sexualised relationships with AI-powered platforms. Unlike traditional exposure to harmful content, AI enables users to generate personalised, interactive experiences—bypassing filters, creating false intimacy, and fostering unhealthy emotional attachment. These tools are unregulated, widely accessible, and often used without parental awareness.
Why This Matters
Psychotherapist and JTeen CEO, Yaakov Barr, explains:
“We’re seeing young people use AI in ways that distort their understanding of relationships and self-worth. AI never challenges, never says no, and never teaches emotional boundaries. It offers a form of intimacy that feels safe but is actually isolating, addictive, and deeply damaging to their development. We’re now seeing AI take on roles it was never meant for, it’s acting as therapist, relationship advisor, and moral guide—all without context or accountability.”
JTeen’s Response
JTeen is launching a broad awareness campaign to help schools and families understand this emerging threat. As part of this initiative:
- Letters are being sent to educational leaders and parents warning of the risks.
- A new Parenting Guide has been created to help families talk about AI use, set boundaries, and protect their children.
- We are working with schools and community leaders to implement proactive education and safeguards.
The concern extends beyond emotional health. In some cases, minors are accessing or generating AI-created explicit content involving children—a serious legal offence under UK law, even if the material is artificially generated.
Michal Bookey, JTeen’s Safeguarding Officer, stresses the urgency:
“AI is being used to create explicit content and simulate emotional connection—all without any regulation or age safeguards. This makes it far harder for parents to detect and far easier for teens to become trapped. If we don’t act now, the consequences will be devastating.”>
Take Action Now
As the National Helpline of the Year, JTeen remains at the forefront of protecting teen wellbeing. This campaign is part of our broader mission to ensure Jewish young people have access to culturally sensitive, timely, and trusted support—both in moments of crisis and through proactive prevention.
Download the Parenting Guide Here to learn how to discuss AI risks with your children and implement protective measures.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact JTeen’s confidential supportline:
Text/WhatsApp: 07860 058 823
Call: 0800 915 4646
We cannot afford to be silent while AI technology outpaces our ability to protect the next generation. Parents, schools, and community leaders must act now—because waiting until it becomes a crisis is waiting too long.