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xAI regulation must prioritise protecting children
Date: 22nd January 2025
Category:
General measures of implementation, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, General principles
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms everyday life, experts are raising concerns about its impact on children, who often interact with AI without realising it. At the UN Internet Governance Forum, 5Rights hosted a panel discussing how AI regulation can address risks to children’s rights.
Children are twice as likely as adults in the UK to use generative AI tools for various purposes, according to research. However, AI systems are often designed without considering young users, posing risks to their privacy, mental health, and education.
Efforts to protect children from these dangers are taking shape, such as the EU’s AI Act, which includes provisions for safeguarding children. This legislation works alongside other legislation like the Digital Services Act. To further bridge gaps in regulation, 5Rights’ Founder and Chair, Baroness Beeban Kidron, will launch a Code of Conduct for AI in early 2025.
The Code will outline practical steps to design and govern AI systems that respect children’s rights, aiming to guide global policy and complement existing laws. Baroness Kidron highlighted the unequal burden AI places on children, stating the industry has “privatised the wealth and outsourced the societal cost onto the shoulders of children.”