Seventeen nations and several United Nations agencies launched a coalition on Tuesday aimed at ensuring artificial intelligence systems respect children's rights, pledging to make child safety a binding requirement for technology companies rather than a burden on families.
The International Coalition for the Rights and Protection of Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence was presented at the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva. Spain, France, Kenya and the European Union spearheaded the initiative, which seeks to coordinate governments, UN bodies, tech firms and civil society around child-safe AI development. Spanish minister Óscar López said some billionaires have been profiting from children's data and that the practice must end.
The launch followed a joint appeal by more than 100 organisations led by 5Rights Foundation calling on governments to require companies to demonstrate their AI systems are safe for children before commercial release.