In a new brief published Monday, Aug. 10, ahead of International Youth Day, the UN called on governments, technology companies, advertisers, media organizations and researchers to strengthen protections for children and young people while ensuring that their voices are included in efforts to address online harms.
AI adds new risks to an already difficult online environment
The UN noted that more than 80% of people aged 15 to 24 worldwide now use the internet. It called on governments, technology companies, advertisers, media organizations and researchers to give greater priority to protecting young users and involving them in efforts to address these risks.
The warning comes as AI becomes increasingly integrated into children’s online experiences. UNICEF said in June that at least 20 million children had used AI across 10 countries examined in its analysis, with children adopting the technology at rates more than three times faster than adults. More than 2 million children in the study said they turned to AI for advice about things that worried them, while an estimated 13 million used it to support learning and homework.
The UN brief says artificial intelligence is advancing faster than efforts to respond to its adoption, adding new risks to an already difficult online environment.
It points to risks ranging from AI-generated content to AI-facilitated exploitation, while warning that the growing use of the technology is taking place as policymakers are still developing frameworks to protect children online.
The brief says the rapid expansion of AI is making the need for child-focused safeguards more urgent and warns that there is a narrowing window to incorporate children’s rights into AI governance frameworks.
Read also : More than 1,200 AI workers urge US government to “deliberately pace” development
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had already called for stronger safeguards in July, when he urged countries and technology companies to support an AI Child Safety Pledge. Speaking at the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Guterres compared emerging AI technologies to untested medicine and warned against allowing children to become subjects of unregulated systems.
“No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI,” Guterres said. “When a child is harmed, the answer must never be ‘the algorithm did it.’”
Online risks are linked to business models
The latest UN brief argues that many of the harms experienced by young people online are not simply accidental outcomes of digital technologies. It links them to business models built around monetizing attention and personal data, as well as design choices intended to maximize engagement and spending.
The document points to recommendation algorithms that can keep young users engaged for long periods, as well as “dark patterns”, loot boxes and other features that can encourage compulsive use.
Children and young people are particularly exposed because their habits, identities and relationships are still developing.
Read also : “AI won’t replace Morocco’s young workers, if the country acts now”, Al Akhawayn forum says
The UN also raises concerns over advertising practices that can be difficult for young users to recognize, saying increasingly hidden advertising tactics can be used to encourage children to spend more online.
“Taken together, these practices normalise pervasive commercial surveillance and manipulative design during the years when children and young people are most impressionable,” the brief says.
Young people are also part of the solution
The UN document does not portray children and young people solely as victims of the digital environment.
It describes them as creators, advocates and organizers who use online platforms to participate in civic life, contribute to public debate and organize movements. Young journalists and content creators are also contributing to public discussion through digital platforms.
At the same time, the brief notes that the same spaces used by youth-led movements can expose their organizers to harassment and surveillance. It specifically points to young women, minorities and activists as groups that can face such risks.
Read also : White House to hold AI safety talks with Meta, OpenAI, Google and Anthropic
The UN therefore calls for young people’s perspectives to be incorporated into research and policymaking on information integrity rather than treating them only as recipients of protection measures.
“Children and young people are among those most affected by today’s information crisis and among those most capable of helping to solve it,” said Charlotte Scaddan, UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity. “Protecting them and including them are not competing goals. We have to do both.”
UN calls for action across the digital sector
The brief sets out different areas of responsibility for governments, technology companies, advertisers, news organizations and researchers.
For governments, it points to the need for laws and policies that address children’s online safety and rights. Technology companies are urged to prioritize child safety in the design and operation of their services, while advertisers are called on to take children’s rights into account.
Read also : OpenAI expands review after identifying additional AI agent containment breaches
The UN also calls on news media to serve young audiences and urges researchers to address gaps in knowledge about information integrity, including gaps affecting countries and communities in the Global South.
The recommendations come as governments and advocates have increasingly focused on issues including addictive design, behavioral advertising, content moderation and privacy.
The UN says the rapid spread of AI makes those discussions more urgent because existing safeguards are having to keep pace with a technology that is developing quickly and being integrated into more areas of digital life.
The organization continues to work on AI governance through initiatives including the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which was established to assess the opportunities and risks associated with the technology.
“As digital technologies and information environments continue to evolve, the current moment presents an urgent opportunity to move from principles to practical action,” the UN brief states.
