{"id":14820,"date":"2026-07-02T08:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T08:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zadecu.org\/?p=14820"},"modified":"2026-07-02T08:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T08:20:10","slug":"unicef-children-are-adopting-ai-technologies-more-than-three-times-faster-than-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zadecu.org\/en\/unicef-children-are-adopting-ai-technologies-more-than-three-times-faster-than-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICEF: Children are adopting AI technologies more than three times faster than adults"},"content":{"rendered":"

Statement by UNICEF on children\u2019s use of Artificial Intelligence ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance<\/em><\/p>\n

NEW YORK\/FLORENCE, 30 June 2026 \u2013 \u201c<\/strong>AI is here. It is a growing part of all of our lives. And it is already shaping childhood around the world \u2013 for better and for worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew evidence is laying bare the scale and speed of its uptake by children worldwide, while exposing the risks and divides emerging alongside it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnalysis by UNICEF drawing on new data from 10 countries estimates that at least 20 million children have used Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many are outpacing adults by adopting it at rates more than three times faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 2 million children \u2013 or 1 in 10 \u2013 said they turn to AI for advice on things that worry them, and an estimated 13 million children said they use it to support their learning and homework.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs children\u2019s use of AI accelerates, the rules that govern its use \u2013 including protections for children \u2013 are struggling to keep up.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren are more exposed to AI systems \u2013 including how they are designed, their underlying business models, and how their own data is used \u2013 yet have far less power to avoid or challenge them. They feel the effects of weak governance first and will live with the consequences the longest. Yet most AI governance does not prioritise children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren themselves recognise the risks. In the 10 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. Too many systems are reaching children with no guardrails \u2013 safety, seemingly, an afterthought.<\/p>\n

\u201cAhead of the first\u00a0Global Dialogue on AI Governance<\/a>, UNICEF is calling on governments, the private sector, and partners to embed child rights, especially the right to safety and protection, in global AI governance by:<\/p>\n