The keynote speech of Maria Luciana Axente
Raising children in the age of AI
Maria Luciana Axente entitled her presentation “Raising children in the age of AI”. The theme of the keynote speech is in fact very close to one of the priority activities of the NMHH, the host of the conference, namely, child protection in the digital age.
New opportunities with the use of artificial intelligence
“How will a digital world look like that is powered by artificial intelligence, a technology that promises to bring huge benefits to all of us, individuals and society?” the speaker asked. We do know that AI can make a difference in education providing our children with content and knowledge that is tailored to their abilities and talents.
AI can also help our children explore new and uncharted territories. Likewise, there is a great future for the use of AI in medicine to have healthier and happier children thanks to customised health plans.
The world has gone digital – but what about our children?
Children and parents now live in a drastically different world. “How many of us marvel at our children sitting in front of their devices instead of talking to each other or to us?” asked the question Maria Axente.
We have a digital world where our children spend most of their time, and parents struggle to understand how their children live in this world. How can they protect their children from the new risks and dangers that may emerge in the digital world, such as artificial intelligence? No matter how they have brought up their children, a new dilemma for parents is how to use AI in a way that allows children to understand their own needs, rights and expectations.
The fact that AI has a dark side was brought to our attention years ago. We have read, seen and heard many stories in the media about AI taking our jobs and robots taking over the world, but we have no tangible means of demonstrating the risks and potential harms this will entail. But the fact is that AI narrows human interaction, which can clearly be harmful to our children’s development. And the emergence and spread of generative artificial intelligence could further increase the risks just mentioned.
Initiatives to keep children safe
Years ago, no one was talking about the relationship between children and artificial intelligence. In the meantime, a number of specific questions have arisen that need to be answered:
What are the main effects to look out for? How should these be integrated into the design?
How can solutions be applied in the most efficient way?
In order to answer the questions raised, Maria Axente and her colleagues drew up an article focusing on the above questions. This led UNICEF to launch the “AI for Children” initiative.
The World Economic Forum then took up the issue and brought together experts from around the world – all for the sake of children’s safety.
The resulting guidance inspires policymakers around the world and gives them direction on how to approach integration in addressing children’s needs.
