Session
Subtheme
Organizer 1: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 5: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 6: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 5: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 6: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Jacqueline Beauchere, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Janice Richardson, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Amrith Kumar, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Janice Richardson, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Amrith Kumar, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: Session Format: Roundtable Following a brief introduction, the onsite moderator will introduce the topic. The roundtable format will ensure equal opportunities for experts to share their ideas and perspectives effectively. To promote inclusivity and efficient time management, the World Café format will be employed, allowing both online and onsite participants to collaborate and engage meaningfully in shaping the next steps. This workshop would serve as the initial step in a broader process, inviting interested stakeholders to commit to follow-up engagement. The goal is to develop guidelines for policymakers and create practical tools for education practitioners and families. A 60-minute session should be sufficient to lay the groundwork for these next steps.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: Session Format: Roundtable Following a brief introduction, the onsite moderator will introduce the topic. The roundtable format will ensure equal opportunities for experts to share their ideas and perspectives effectively. To promote inclusivity and efficient time management, the World Café format will be employed, allowing both online and onsite participants to collaborate and engage meaningfully in shaping the next steps. This workshop would serve as the initial step in a broader process, inviting interested stakeholders to commit to follow-up engagement. The goal is to develop guidelines for policymakers and create practical tools for education practitioners and families. A 60-minute session should be sufficient to lay the groundwork for these next steps.
Policy Question(s)
A. What new opportunities is AI opening for young learners, and what risks does this pose to their learning and their fundamental rights?
B. Will AI increase the impact of digital technology on the participation of young people in democratic-decision making?
C. What guidelines and toolkits do educators and parents need to guide children and young people in the use of AI?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain knowledge of ways tools, programmes and strategies to deploy in ensuring all users navigate digital environments responsibly, safely and ethically, building resilience at home, in class, online and offline:
● Educators ( parents and teachers) – broader knowledge of opportunities for AI in learning, and ongoing risk assessment through improved collaboration with industry.
● Industry – deeper understanding of the challenges that educators and families face.
● Policy makers – knowledge of the perspectives of both industry and educators, in view of more informed regulation and effective governance.
● Civil Society and Youth Representatives – share and gain insights into the needs and concerns of young digital users to improve capacity-building and advocacy.
● Children and Young people – greater resilience through adapted applications supporting educators.
The diverse stakeholders provide unique insights into specific challenges encountered across sectors, encourage the exchange of ideas and potential solutions.
SDGs
Description:
In today’s world, (generative) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new modes of self-expression and representation are rapidly becoming the norm, polarising users and offering them endless ways of tweaking their very identity. It is therefore increasingly important that children, under the guidance of parents, caregivers, and educators develop the necessary skills to responsibly navigate evolving AI-driven environments. Industry, too, needs to strike a balance between innovation, safety and well-being-by-design in their digital platforms and emerging technologies. This workshop will explore the essential knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required to understand the multi-faceted benefits and challenges of AI and the policy and governance strategies needed to protect the Rights of young people and empower them to effectively benefit from virtual environments and understand the risks and dangers. It will also consider issues such as ethics, accountability, transparency and funding models. A debate bringing together young people and representatives from education, industry, government and civil sectors will deep-dive into the virtual landscape, rapidly evolving with the emergence of AI. Together they will discuss emerging developments, e.g. self-representation through AI, and how these technologies impact the safety and well-being of young people. They will delve into means for building digital trust, improving online safety and highlighting ethical considerations to equip educators with the knowledge needed to support children in digital spaces, looking more specifically at: ● The role of AI, avatars and self-representation in digital interactions; ● Strategies for increasing digital literacy among young users, parents and teachers; ● The risks and benefits of AI in shaping online content and identities; ● Tools and initiatives that foster responsible engagement with AI-driven platforms; ● How to improve collaboration and transparency between young people, parents, educators, policymakers and industry to create safer digital environments.
In today’s world, (generative) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new modes of self-expression and representation are rapidly becoming the norm, polarising users and offering them endless ways of tweaking their very identity. It is therefore increasingly important that children, under the guidance of parents, caregivers, and educators develop the necessary skills to responsibly navigate evolving AI-driven environments. Industry, too, needs to strike a balance between innovation, safety and well-being-by-design in their digital platforms and emerging technologies. This workshop will explore the essential knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required to understand the multi-faceted benefits and challenges of AI and the policy and governance strategies needed to protect the Rights of young people and empower them to effectively benefit from virtual environments and understand the risks and dangers. It will also consider issues such as ethics, accountability, transparency and funding models. A debate bringing together young people and representatives from education, industry, government and civil sectors will deep-dive into the virtual landscape, rapidly evolving with the emergence of AI. Together they will discuss emerging developments, e.g. self-representation through AI, and how these technologies impact the safety and well-being of young people. They will delve into means for building digital trust, improving online safety and highlighting ethical considerations to equip educators with the knowledge needed to support children in digital spaces, looking more specifically at: ● The role of AI, avatars and self-representation in digital interactions; ● Strategies for increasing digital literacy among young users, parents and teachers; ● The risks and benefits of AI in shaping online content and identities; ● Tools and initiatives that foster responsible engagement with AI-driven platforms; ● How to improve collaboration and transparency between young people, parents, educators, policymakers and industry to create safer digital environments.
Expected Outcomes
The World Cafe format will produce three posters addressing key themes of the session with multi-faceted input from a diverse group of participants, onsite and online, and provide the basis for ongoing discussion on the issues raised at the workshop. This process includes involvement of both DCs DTC and Youth before and at the IGF, to ensure that the voice of youth is heard. Following the session, contact details will be shared to facilitate continued online interaction, leading to the creation of representative guidelines, toolkits and policy recommendations that reflect the narratives of all stakeholder groups. The insights gathered will further enrich the work of Child Online Africa and similar organisations from other regions around the world striving to build the resilience of children and young people as emerging technology continues to influence digital infrastructure, affecting user behaviour and the content they access.
Hybrid Format: The online and onsite moderators will be in constant contact during the session to ensure all participants have an equal chance to join the debate and deliver input to the plans for future work. Participants in this work will not necessarily be physically present at the IGF, which is a further reason to make sure that all have equal possibilities for active participation, and that the workshop is an inclusive experience for all attendees. The World Cafe format will be similarly hosted both offline and online. The chat function will enable discussions with online participants to facilitate their contribution to deliverable outcomes during the session without their necessarily having to be onsite at the IGF.