As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of children’s daily lives, UNICEF has urged governments and technology companies to place child rights at the centre of AI governance. Ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the organisation warned that children are adopting AI much faster than adults, while safety measures and regulations are struggling to keep pace.
Based on data collected from 10 countries, UNICEF estimates that at least 20 million children have used AI, with adoption rates in many cases more than 3 times higher than among adults. More than 2 million children, or 1 in 10, said they use AI for advice about personal concerns, while around 13 million use it to support learning and complete homework.
UNICEF said current AI governance frameworks do not adequately prioritise children’s interests, even though young people are likely to experience the long-term impact of today’s AI policies. The organisation warned that children are increasingly exposed to AI systems, business models and data practices but have limited ability to understand, challenge or avoid them.
While AI can support learning, creativity and play, UNICEF noted that research on its impact on children’s cognitive development, emotional wellbeing and exposure to harm is still evolving.
The organisation also highlighted children’s concerns about AI. Across the 10 countries surveyed, 1 in 3 children worried about AI being used for scams or misinformation, while 1 in 4 feared their images or videos could be turned into sexually explicit deepfakes. UNICEF warned that many AI systems are reaching children without adequate safeguards.
To address these risks, UNICEF called on governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to integrate child rights into global AI governance. The organisation recommended stronger legal protections, greater corporate accountability, investment in research on AI’s impact on children, improved AI literacy for children and caregivers, better digital infrastructure to reduce inequality, and AI systems designed with safety and transparency from the start.
According to UNICEF, the decisions made today will shape children’s safety, privacy, wellbeing and opportunities for decades. The organisation also stressed that child protection should become a core principle of trustworthy AI, covering every stage from design and deployment to regulation.
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