UN Sounds Alarm as Children Rapidly Embrace AI, Demands Urgent Global SafeguardingRules
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent global regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that millions of children are rapidly adopting the technology without adequate safeguarding measures in place.
In a statement released ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled for Geneva, Switzerland, on 6 and 7 July 2026, UNICEF said artificial intelligence is already shaping childhood experiences worldwide, but governance frameworks are struggling to keep pace.
The agency cited analysis across 10 countries, estimating that at least 20 million children have used AI tools. The data also shows that children are adopting the technology at more than three times the rate of adults, highlighting a widening generational shift in digital behaviour.
UNICEF further revealed that over 2 million children, about one in ten, use AI systems to seek advice on personal worries, while approximately 13 million rely on AI for learning and homework support.
According to the agency, this rapid uptake raises serious concerns about safety, data privacy, and children’s exposure to commercial AI systems that they cannot fully understand or control.
“As children’s use of AI accelerates, the rules that govern its use, including protections for children, are struggling to keep up,” the statement noted.
UNICEF is urging governments, technology companies, and development partners to embed child protection into AI governance. It called for stronger laws, improved accountability, AI literacy programmes, and support for parents and caregivers.
The agency also stressed the need for safer AI design, greater transparency, and expanded digital infrastructure to reduce inequalities and close the global AI access gap among children.
