Session
Organizer 1: Marie-Eve Nadeau, 5Rights Foundation
Organizer 2: Barrington-Leach Leanda, 5Rights Foundation
Organizer 3: Tognoni Andrea , 5Rights Foundation
Speaker 1: Koene Ansgar, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Nidhi Ramesh, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Beeban Kidron, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Dr Jun Zhao
Speaker 5: Brando Benifei
Barrington-Leach Leanda, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Tognoni Andrea , Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Marie-Eve Nadeau, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The round table is an ideal format for this workshop, as it facilitates more dynamic participation and is highly conducive to exchange. After each speaker has taken the floor for an initial intervention, the panel will open a discussion between the panellists, to which the audience will also be invited to contribute.
What are the emerging risks associated with AI, particularly regarding children's rights, safety and privacy and how do current regulatory approaches effectively mitigate these risks? What lessons can be learned from existing regulations and best practices in different jurisdictions regarding AI and children's rights, and how can this knowledge be leveraged to inform the convergence towards consistent standards and guidelines for protecting children's rights in AI governance? What are the specific gaps in existing legal frameworks to adequately address emerging risks for children associated with AI?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Through in-depth discussions and real-life examples of children, participants attending this workshop would gain a comprehensive understanding of the emerging risks associated with AI, specifically concerning children's rights, safety, and privacy. Through discussion with Civil Society, Regulators, and Industry participants, we would examine how existing regulations address these risks, identifying strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, and best practices from diverse jurisdictions. This comparative analysis would highlight key principles and approaches that could serve as a foundation for the convergence towards consistent international standards and guidelines.
Description:
AI-powered applications and devices increasingly mediate children's lives, influencing their development. From toys, video games, virtual voice assistants, and education tech to search, social media recommender systems and chatbots. Following General comment 25, which outlines how States parties should implement the Convention on the rights of the Child in the digital environement, there is a growing global consensus that digital services affecting children must be designed with their rights in mind. However, the emerging legislative framework covering AI in relation to children is diverging across the globe. This session aims to bring a range of stakeholders, civil society, the industry's technical community and the voice of children together to discuss emerging risks for children associated with AI and how current existing legal frameworks effectively address those risks. It will look at the gaps and explore guidance on international standards and best practices.
The workshop outcomes will provide actionable insights and best practices to drive our efforts in the global dialogue on AI governance and children's rights. These ideas will resonate with industry, political institutions, governments and intergovernmental bodies, and guide future actions and policies.
Hybrid Format: Our goal is to ensure a balanced online and in-person participation during this session. To achieve this, we will alternate between online and in-person speakers to give everyone an equal opportunity to engage. Additionally, we will establish an internal communication channel to facilitate coordination between the two moderators, ensuring that both groups have equal interactivity. And a screen will display online participants in the session room.
Report
While AI presents transformative opportunities, its design and deployment without adequate safeguards exposes children to existential harms.
Following General comment No. 25 which outlines how States parties should implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the digital environment, there is a growing global consensus that just like in every sector, AI systems likely to interact with, or impact children must be developed with their rights and their best interests in mind.
States must move from commitments to action. Endorsing and implementing the forthcoming Code of Conduct for AI systems that impact children is one step to guarantee that AI systems are designed with children’s rights in mind by design and by default.
On 18 December 2024, 5Rights Foundation organised a workshop at the 19th UN Internet Governance Forum titled "Regulating AI and Emerging Risks for Children's Rights". This session brought together policymakers, academics, industry experts, and children themselves to discuss the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence on children's rights and the necessity to develop robust legislative and regulatory frameworks.
Nidhi, a 5Rights Youth Ambassador from India, highlighted the omnipresence of AI in children’s lives. She stressed that AI systems are built into every digital product and service that her and her peers interact with, yet they are often not aware of this. This concerns every facet of a child’s life, from education to entertainment and social interactions; and exposes them to potential risks such as data exploitation, privacy violations, and exposure to inappropriate content. This notably poses serious implications for children’s rights to privacy, health, and education.
Empirical evidence supports children’s concerns. Oxford University’s Dr. Jun Zhao pointed out that AI development insufficiently considers children’s right to privacy, as well as their developmental needs – both of which are key principles outlined in General comment No. 25 to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Recent instances whereby AI chatbots have promoted self-harm and suicide to children underscores the urgency for rights-respecting AI design and governance.
Recognising these risks, regulatory efforts like the EU AI Act have emerged. As MEP Brando Benifei emphasized, the AI Act – which recently entered into force – includes critical provisions for children. He called for a coherent set of both hard and soft laws at the international level to ensure comprehensive protection of children and their rights globally.
Dr. Ansgar Koene noted, however, that while regulatory efforts and technical standards offer actionable steps, they often provide limited guidance, and are often lagging behind the rapid development of AI systems. Careful attention must be paid to enforcement efforts, as fast advancements in AI present challenge to this crucial step. Additional technical standards and comprehensive frameworks are needed to guide the rights-respecting development and deployment of AI systems.
To address this gap, global efforts must be coherent and grounded in shared principles. In response, Baroness Beeban Kidron – 5Rights’ Chair and Founder – announced the upcoming launch of a Code of Conduct for AI. This Code will propose actionable measures to design, deploy, and govern AI systems that respect children's rights and needs. It aims to complement existing regulatory initiatives and provide a standard for jurisdictions considering introducing new legislation or regulation.
The session concluded with a unified call to action for policymakers and technology companies to fulfil their obligations, and prioritise children’s rights in the governance, design, and deployment of AI systems. Baroness Kidron’s forthcoming AI code presents a blueprint for addressing these concerns and building rights-respecting AI systems as part of the digital world children deserve.
Key Takeaways
- While AI presents transformative opportunities, its design and deployment without adequate safeguards exposes children to existential harms.
- Following General comment No. 25 which outlines how States parties should implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the digital environment, there is a growing global consensus that just like in every sector, AI systems likely to interact with, or impact children must be developed with their rights and their best interests in mind.
Calls to Action
- States and businesses must fulfil their obligations, and prioritise children’s rights in the governance, design, and deployment of AI systems.
- States must move from commitments to action. Endorsing and implementing the forthcoming Code of Conduct for AI systems that impact children is one step to guarantee that AI systems are designed with children’s rights in mind by design and by default.