Child Online Africa

Success, to me, means achieving an outcome that is inclusive and truly reflects the needs and concerns of everyone, especially children and young people.

• Safe, secure and trustworthy AI
• Social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI
• AI capacity-building
• Transparency, accountability, and human oversight

My decisions were guided by the needs of my constituents. They are often excluded from discussions due to safeguarding requirements, but I believe this should change, especially in the context of AI governance. Provisions should be put in place to enable their meaningful and effective participation.

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The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into education is reshaping how young people learn, but it also brings a range of challenges that risk deepening existing inequalities. In many cases, exposure to biased educational AI systems reinforces gaps between urban and rural schools, where access to high-quality tools and infrastructure is uneven. At the same time, concerns around data privacy continue to grow, particularly as student information is collected and processed by educational technology platforms with limited transparency. A significant issue is the lack of awareness among youth regarding the risks associated with AI and how to use these systems safely. This limited understanding leaves them vulnerable, not only in terms of personal data exposure but also in their interactions with AI-driven tools such as chatbots and recommendation systems. Many young users engage with these technologies without knowing how decisions are made or how content is curated, increasing their susceptibility to manipulation through targeted information and potential data exploitation. Moreover, the growing reliance on AI in education may widen the skills gap, contributing to future employment inequalities. Youth are often positioned as passive users rather than active creators of AI technologies, limiting their sense of agency and participation in shaping digital futures. Cultural mismatches in AI tools further complicate this landscape, as many systems do not reflect local contexts or values. This disconnect also threatens linguistic diversity and cultural identity. As AI-generated global content becomes more dominant, young people's expression and sense of self may shift away from local traditions. Ultimately, the lack of transparency about data use and limited control over digital identity underscore the urgent need for more inclusive, ethical, and context-aware AI systems in education.

The AI Dialogue can play a pivotal role in advancing international cooperation on AI governance by serving as a neutral, inclusive platform where diverse stakeholders come together to build shared understanding and alignment. By convening governments, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society including youth it helps bridge gaps in perspectives, priorities, and levels of technological development. One of its key contributions is granting common principles and norms. Through open discussion and knowledge exchange, the Dialogue can support the development of interoperable frameworks on issues such as ethics, safety, transparency, and accountability. This is particularly important in a global landscape where fragmented regulations risk creating confusion, inefficiencies, and uneven protections. The AI Dialogue can also shed light on underrepresented voices, ensuring that governance approaches reflect a wider range of cultural, social, and economic contexts. By doing so, it helps prevent a one-size-fits-all model and promotes more equitable outcomes across regions, including those with fewer resources or limited participation in global decision-making. Additionally, it can act as a space for identifying shared challenges such as data privacy, bias, and the impact of AI on employment and coordinating collective responses. This includes encouraging collaboration on research, capacity building, and the responsible deployment of AI systems. Finally, the Dialogue can build trust among participants. In an area as complex and fast-moving as AI, trust is essential for cooperation. By promoting transparency, ongoing communication, and mutual accountability, the AI Dialogue helps lay the groundwork for sustained international partnerships and more cohesive global governance.

Key global initiatives include the UNESCO and its Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, as well as the International Telecommunication Union, which focuses on technical standards and inclusive digital development. And the OECD AI Principles provide widely recognized policy frameworks and research collaboration platforms. The European Union's AI Act, and industry-led and technical bodies, including the IEEE and ISO, contribute standards that influence how AI systems are designed and deployed globally. strengthen trust and mutual understanding between stakeholders. By creating a continuous, open channel for engagement, the AI Dialogue can complement formal governance mechanisms with relationship-building and consensus-forming processes that are essential for effective international cooperation.

Focus or thematic group discussions.

Children and young people.

Workshop integration into speeches etc

UNESCO and its Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.