Peterborough software company unveils new AI solution to help schools keep children safe
A local and award-winning software company has launched a new AI safeguarding solution that analyses activity to help schools focus on the safeguarding incidents that need attention and reduce false alarms, so that children and young people are better protected online.
The development comes at an important moment, amid growing concerns about data privacy and online safety, with the Digital Youth Index finding that 83% of young people aged 11 or above have experienced something upsetting online, including fake news, hate speech, sexual content and contact with strangers.
The solution, called SalusAI, will support schools as they explore both the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. Created by the Peterborough-based company, NetSupport, this solution has data privacy and the protection of young people at the centre, so that sensitive information about pupils is never passed to an outside AI provider.
This is an exciting step forward in the region’s investment in AI, as SalusAI is powered by specialist local language models that work together in a fully sovereign AI approach. Unlike other AI tools that rely on external providers, the technology operates entirely on NetSupport’s own infrastructure, ensuring sensitive safeguarding information remains protected and under the company's control.
Al Kingsley MBE, Group CEO of NetSupport, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our Peterborough roots and the fact that technology developed by our team here is making a difference in schools and organisations across the world.
“Keeping children safe is one of the most important responsibilities a school has, and with SalusAI, we’re exploring how artificial intelligence can support that critical work.
“It’s a big moment for our team, and another example of how a Peterborough company can help solve problems that matter well beyond our region and contribute to the future of education technology.”
The announcement also follows a strong year for the locally-owned business. At the 2025 Peterborough Business Awards, NetSupport won the Digital and Technology Award, while Group CEO Al Kingsley MBE was named Business Person of the Year. Al, who received his MBE in the King’s 2025 New Year Honours for services to education, was then awarded both the Business Leader and Community Impact categories in the Peterborough Top 100 awards 2026.