A survey by UNICEF has revealed that more than two million children, i.e. 1 out of 10, have used artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for advice on things that affect them while an estimated 13 million children claim they use it for their school homework.
According to the survey by UNICEF, which is based on the data from 10 countries, at least 20 million children have used AI and many are outpacing adults by adopting it at rates more than three times faster.
“As children’s use of AI accelerates, the rules that govern its use, including protections for children, are struggling to keep up,” the international agency said.
It raised concerns over how children are exposed to AI systems highlighting that they are impacted by the effects of weak governance and have to deal with the consequences for a longer period of time, yet, UNICEF stressed that most AI governance does not priorities children.
“While AI has potential to bring opportunities for children to learn, play, or be creative, evidence about its role in cognitive development, emotional dependency, and exposure to harm is just emerging. In effect, a generation is growing up inside a global experiment,” UNICEF said.
The survey report comes even as countries like Australia and United Kingdom are prohibiting access to social media platforms and certain “love AI chatbots” for all minors.
It further informed that in the ten countries, a third of children reported concerns about AI being used to scam and trick others, or spread misinformation, while a quarter feared having their images or videos manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes.
Ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UNICEF has urged governments, private sector, and partners to embed child rights, the right to safety and protection, in global AI governance by taking following initiatives such as by investing in research on AI’s impact on children’s development and well-being, specially the risks, strengthening laws, governance frameworks, and corporate accountability to stop AI-enabled sexual exploitation and abuse.
In addition UNICEF stressed the need to ensure that AI systems are designed with maximum safety and transparency, so that children have a chance to be protected while benefiting from opportunities. It further called for efforts to build AI literacy and provide support for children and their parents or caregivers to thrive in the digital environment and also advised to invest in digital infrastructure and connectivity for every child and their parents or caregivers, at home and at school to close the AI divide between and within countries.
Also Read: First UN AI Report Warns Global South Shut Out of AI Governance
