Celebrating Safer Internet Day by Digging Deeper into AI with Minecraft Education
People are using AI more and more at home, at work, in school, and everywhere in between. According to the most recent Microsoft Global Online Safety Survey, there has been a global increase in active generative AI users. Our findings showed that in 2024, 51% of people are users or experimenters of generative AI compared to 38% in 2023. Generation Z continues to drive this adoption with 64% of young adults reporting ever using the technology. That means it’s up to us – especially those of us who work in technology and gaming – to make sure that young people have the support they need to navigate the world of AI safely while also fostering their curiosity and creativity in exploring these new technologies.
That’s why, for Safer Internet Day 2025, Minecraft Education is releasing a new installment in the CyberSafe series where players can explore the risks and opportunities of AI use through fun, game-based challenges. In each instance, players are tasked with articulating guidelines for how to use AI safely and responsibly. Welcome to CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper, available free on the Minecraft Marketplace and in Minecraft Education!
Safely Exploring Real-world AI Issues
This DLC engages players by putting them in the role of a student tasked with helping to throw a fundraiser for their school. When the student sets out to investigate how AI technology could be used to help them mass produce the 3D-printed animals they’ve been learning to make in STEM lab, they encounter some common challenges and risks posed by using AI as a creative tool. They realize that its output might not be what they were looking for, and that they always need to check AI results against other trusted sources of information. While the player doesn’t engage with generative AI technology directly through the DLC, they will work through challenges and scenarios that simulate use of AI and learn about how to use it responsibly. Players will come to understand that, in the world outside their classroom, people might use AI both positively and negatively, building critical awareness of the roles that AI plays in their lives.
“Human inventiveness is at the center of AI. This is a great opportunity to empower educators, kids, and families with the knowledge and skills to use AI safely, maximizing human creativity and its positive impact in the world,” says Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Player Safety at Mojang Studios. “I’m excited to continue the momentum of our CyberSafe content, which has already reached tens of millions of players worldwide.”
Getting a Jump Start on AI Literacy and Skills
CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper builds on the success of the CyberSafe DLC series, available free on the Minecraft Marketplace and in Minecraft Education, which has helped a generation of players learn key digital citizenship skills like password protection, data privacy, and ways to deal with online bullying. Last year’s launch of Good Game inspired millions of young Minecrafters to create in-game codes of conduct. Through a partnership between Xbox and Minecraft, the CyberSafe series has reached more than 80 million downloads since 2022.
With Dig Deeper, players will learn the critical questions to ask when working with AI or encountering AI-generated content and build an understanding of how to navigate these systems thoughtfully and safely. Ultimately, the experience aims to illustrate that for all their capabilities, AI systems require human intelligence, intervention, and oversight to work safely and constructively. Use the included Minecraft Family Cyber Toolkit for further guidance on navigating the CyberSafe DLC series.
If you’re looking for more resources and tips for family gaming, visit xbox.com/family. You can learn more about what Xbox offers for families, including information about privacy and access to privacy tools, the Xbox Family Settings app and Community Standards.
You can read more about Microsoft’s Global Online Survey Results and the efforts being taken to tackle abusive AI-generated content risks at Microsoft’s Safer Internet Day 2025 blog.
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