At least 20 million children across 10 countries have dived into the world of artificial intelligence, and guess what? They’re adopting it way faster than adults! The new analysis from UNICEF reveals that children are outpacing their older counterparts when it comes to using this technology. It’s a real eye-opener. More than 2 million kids, that’s one in every ten, said they turn to AI for advice on things that keep them up at night. Can you believe it?
UNICEF pointed out that kids are more exposed to AI systems, from how these systems are designed to the sneaky ways their personal data is used. Yet here’s the kicker: they have way less power to avoid or challenge these systems. Most AI governance just doesn’t prioritize children at all. It’s pretty alarming, right? The agency emphasized that we’re just starting to understand how AI affects cognitive development, emotional dependency, and potential harm to young minds.
And it gets even more concerning. Kids themselves are expressing unease about AI technology. According to the analysis, a whopping one-third of children in the surveyed countries are worried about how AI is being used. Even scarier, about a quarter fear that their images or videos could be twisted into sexually explicit deepfakes. Yahu, think about that for a second! It’s a wild world out there, and many AI systems hitting the market are doing so with inadequate protections for our children. UNICEF called safety an afterthought, which is just unacceptable.
The agency is pushing for a new approach to global AI governance that embeds children’s rights into the conversation, particularly their right to safety and protection. This is a decisive moment, folks. The choices we make about AI today are going to shape the future for our kids. So, what’s going to happen next? Will we step up and ensure a safer digital landscape for them?
Kaynak: Orijinal Haber
