Recent statistics highlight this urgency:
149 AI foundation models have been released since 2022, often surpassing human performance.
An estimated 57% of online content is now machine-generated or translated.
In the UK, a quarter of 5-7-year-olds own smartphones, and a third use social media independently.
In the US, 95% of adolescents have mobile devices, with 89% owning smartphones.
These figures underscore the urgent need for a coordinated, global response to the challenges and opportunities posed by AI for child and adolescent development and well-being. We call upon researchers, policymakers, technologists, educators, parents, and concerned citizens worldwide to join us in addressing five critical
Challenges:
1. Research Challenge: Develop new methodologies for timely, accurate, and accessible research on AI's impact on child development, increasing 'mechanistic' studies for individualized risk prediction.
2. Ethical Design Challenge: Ensure AI systems are designed with ethical and child rights considerations at their core, focusing on developmental milestones and relational metrics rather than just instrumental measures.
3. Resources Challenge: Establish a public interest technology ecosystem that develops equitable, inclusive, and scalable technologies prioritizing child and adolescent well-being.
4. Collective Response Challenge: Foster new social norms around technology use through community engagement and support for local initiatives.
5. Global Policy Challenge: Support global advocacy efforts to ensure equitable protection for children and adolescents worldwide, regardless of location or device ownership.
Commitment:
The signatories of this letter commit to:
Supporting and conducting research that advances our understanding of AI's impact on child and adolescent development.
Advocating for ethical AI design that considers the unique needs of children and adolescents.
Contributing to the development of a public interest technology ecosystem.
Engaging in and promoting community-based initiatives that establish healthy norms around technology use.
Supporting global policy efforts to protect children's rights in the digital age.
We believe that by working together, we can harness the potential of AI while safeguarding the well-being of our children and young people. We urge governments, technology companies, academic institutions, parents, and civil society organizations to join us in this endeavor.