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IGF 2024 WS #172 Regulating AI and Emerging Risks for Children's Rights

    Organizer 1: Marie-Eve Nadeau, 5Rights Foundation
    Organizer 2: Barrington-Leach Leanda, 5Rights Foundation
    Organizer 3: Tognoni Andrea , 5Rights Foundation

    Speaker 1: Koene Ansgar, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
    Speaker 2: Nidhi Ramesh, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 3: Beeban Kidron, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
    Speaker 4: Dr Jun Zhao
    Speaker 5: Brando Benifei

    Moderator

    Barrington-Leach Leanda, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Online Moderator

    Tognoni Andrea , Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Rapporteur

    Marie-Eve Nadeau, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Format

    Roundtable
    Duration (minutes): 90
    Format description: The round table is an ideal format for this workshop, as it facilitates more dynamic participation and is highly conducive to exchange. After each speaker has taken the floor for an initial intervention, the panel will open a discussion between the panellists, to which the audience will also be invited to contribute.

    Policy Question(s)

    What are the emerging risks associated with AI, particularly regarding children's rights, safety and privacy and how do current regulatory approaches effectively mitigate these risks? What lessons can be learned from existing regulations and best practices in different jurisdictions regarding AI and children's rights, and how can this knowledge be leveraged to inform the convergence towards consistent standards and guidelines for protecting children's rights in AI governance? What are the specific gaps in existing legal frameworks to adequately address emerging risks for children associated with AI?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? Through in-depth discussions and real-life examples of children, participants attending this workshop would gain a comprehensive understanding of the emerging risks associated with AI, specifically concerning children's rights, safety, and privacy. Through discussion with Civil Society, Regulators, and Industry participants, we would examine how existing regulations address these risks, identifying strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, and best practices from diverse jurisdictions. This comparative analysis would highlight key principles and approaches that could serve as a foundation for the convergence towards consistent international standards and guidelines.

    SDGs

    Description:

    AI-powered applications and devices increasingly mediate children's lives, influencing their development. From toys, video games, virtual voice assistants, and education tech to search, social media recommender systems and chatbots. Following General comment 25, which outlines how States parties should implement the Convention on the rights of the Child in the digital environement, there is a growing global consensus that digital services affecting children must be designed with their rights in mind. However, the emerging legislative framework covering AI in relation to children is diverging across the globe. This session aims to bring a range of stakeholders, civil society, the industry's technical community and the voice of children together to discuss emerging risks for children associated with AI and how current existing legal frameworks effectively address those risks. It will look at the gaps and explore guidance on international standards and best practices.

    Expected Outcomes

    The workshop outcomes will provide actionable insights and best practices to drive our efforts in the global dialogue on AI governance and children's rights. These ideas will resonate with industry, political institutions, governments and intergovernmental bodies, and guide future actions and policies.

    Hybrid Format: Our goal is to ensure a balanced online and in-person participation during this session. To achieve this, we will alternate between online and in-person speakers to give everyone an equal opportunity to engage. Additionally, we will establish an internal communication channel to facilitate coordination between the two moderators, ensuring that both groups have equal interactivity. And a screen will display online participants in the session room.

    Key Takeaways (* deadline at the end of the session day)

    While AI presents transformative opportunities, its design and deployment without adequate safeguards exposes children to existential harms.

    Following General comment No. 25 which outlines how States parties should implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the digital environment, there is a growing global consensus that just like in every sector, AI systems likely to interact with, or impact children must be developed with their rights and their best interests in mind.

    Call to Action (* deadline at the end of the session day)

    States must move from commitments to action. Endorsing and implementing the forthcoming Code of Conduct for AI systems that impact children is one step to guarantee that AI systems are designed with children’s rights in mind by design and by default.