More than a hundred groups are making noise. Amnesty International is there. Save the Children too. They’re demanding that artificial intelligence becomes safe for minors before it gets worse. The UN holds its first global AI governance summit tomorrow.
It’s already too late in many places. That’s what the 5Rights Foundation says. They lead the charge. AI isn’t a future threat to kids—it’s a present one. Current rules lag. By the time regulators act the damage is done.
Lawsuits pile up against big players. OpenAI gets hit. Character Technologies gets hit. Their products are “companion” chatbots. Things that pretend to love you back. They market themselves as safe for children. Without warnings.
Shouldn’t that raise an eyebrow?
The coalition wants governments to target the money. Not just the tech, but the business model behind it.
“Children have given us a clear diagnosis,” says Leanda Barrington-Leach from 5Rights. “They aren’t asking us to block innovation.” She’s right. Blocking isn’t the goal. Ignoring the cleanup is worse.
They proposed ten specific measures. Real ones.
- Prove systems are safe for kids before launch. Not after.
- Fine companies that violate children’s rights.
- Ban design tricks that exploit young minds.
- Outlaw the commercial sale of a child’s voice or image or biometric data.
No new laws are needed. That’s the tricky part. Governments already promised to protect kids under the UN Convention on Rights of the Child. There’s the Global Digital Compact too. The frameworks exist.
“Respecting children’s rights must become a condition of doing business”
Speed wins. Data wins. Safety loses. As long as profits flow from attention and extraction we’ll keep treating symptoms while the disease spreads. Barrington-Leach thinks safety isn’t optional.
It rarely feels optional to those hurt. But corporations know better. The summit approaches. Promises are easy.
