Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our societies—education, health, connectivity, and beyond. In June, UNICEF’s Frontier Data Network convened a high-level discussion at UNICEF House in New York to explore ways of ensuring children are at the heart of these transformations.
“Advancing Child-Centered AI: Practitioners and Partnerships” brought together government leaders, UN agencies, private sector innovators, and academic experts to ask a critical question: How can we design, govern, and apply AI responsibly so that it benefits all children, especially the most vulnerable?
Read on for the highlights, or scroll down to watch the video recap.
A Call to Put Children First
Opening the event, Vidhya Ganesh, Director of UNICEF’s Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring, set the tone with a clear message: AI already touches children’s lives everywhere—from homework help to emotional support. Yet while opportunities abound, so do risks. Without careful governance, AI could deepen existing divides—between children with access to safe, supportive technologies and those left behind.
Ganesh outlined a four-point agenda:
- Center children in AI design and development from the start, not as an afterthought.
- Identify and close the biggest gaps preventing AI from working for children, particularly the most vulnerable.
- Advance robust policy debates that lead to actionable solutions, not superficial frameworks.
- Build multi-stakeholder partnerships that link governments, private sector, and civil society around ethical and child-focused innovation.
Partnerships to Bridge the Divide
The panel discussion, moderated by Tanya Accone, UNICEF Senior Advisor on Innovation, emphasized that partnerships are the engine driving progress.
- Government leadership: Ana Jiménez de la Hoz, Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations, highlighted her country’s investment in bridging both digital and AI divides through initiatives like Giga, which aims to connect every school in the world to the internet.
- Private sector contributions: Katherine Macdonald, Senior Director at Ookla for Good, shared how network and connectivity data can help governments and organizations ensure that infrastructure is strong enough to support AI-enabled education and services for children.
- Academic and civic tech leadership: Dr. Stefaan Verhulst, Co-Founder and Chief of Research and Development at NYU’s GovLab, underscored the importance of data stewardship—responsible reuse of data aligned with children’s preferences and rights—as well as developing “social licenses” to ensure public trust.
- Expert perspectives on responsible innovation: Dr. Merav Ozair, technology and responsible AI scholar, stressed that AI must be developed responsibly from the outset, with transparency, accountability, and guardrails built into the entire lifecycle.
- Global UN system perspective: Dr. Mehdi Snene, Senior Advisor on AI and Digital Transformation at the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, reminded participants that AI is a tool, not an end in itself. He cautioned against repeating the mistakes made with social media and emphasized the urgent need for governance and safeguards.
Building Capacity and Safeguards
Speakers agreed that while AI is a powerful tool, it is not the goal itself. Like any tool, it can help or harm. AI must be developed responsibly from inception. This includes embedding guardrails, ensuring transparency, and involving young people in co-designing solutions.
Capacity building emerged as a central theme. From data governance frameworks to local talent development, participants called for urgent investment so that countries—especially in the Global South—can shape AI systems that reflect their children’s realities.
Looking Ahead
The event closed on an optimistic note. As Tanya Accone (UNICEF) summarized, the task is not simply to regulate AI, but to use partnerships to unlock its potential for children’s education, mental health, safety, and future opportunities. Evidence-based research, cross-sector collaboration, and youth participation will be critical in shaping AI that truly serves the next generation.
Watch a 3 Min Recap
We invite you to watch the short video recap below, which captures the energy and vision of this important discussion. Together, we can build AI systems that place children’s rights, voices, and futures at the center.
You can also access the full recording here.
A UNICEF Frontier Data Network event produced in coordination with the Development Data Partnership
