Session
Research ICT Africa, Zara Schroeder
Zara Schroeder, Research ICT Africa
Jamie Fuller
Targets: The proposal aims to ensure the safe inclusion of African children in online learning environments, safeguarding them from potential harms associated with AI when using educational technology and platforms. It emphasizes that every child should have the opportunity to learn online without encountering risks. African children face greater vulnerabilities compared to their counterparts in the Global North. Thus, it's crucial to recognize these vulnerabilities, establish policies to reduce risks, and ensure their protection. Currently, there's a lack of regulation concerning AI's impact on African children. This session aims to provide a platform for discussing this issue and generating potential solutions. It will address various harms, particularly focusing on mental health implications that children may experience due to AI usage. Consequently, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages, and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities is paramount for this session's objectives.
The session will begin with a conversation between Zara Schroeder and Diana Nyakundi where Jackline Akello will moderate a 15 minute discussion between the two speakers. Thereafter, Jackline Akello will moderate a 15 minute Question and Answer round with the participants, Zara Schroeder and Diana Nyakundi will respond to any queries being raised during that aspect of the session.
This session will address the ethical and regulatory challenges and policy gaps in the new forms of AI-driven children’s play and entertainment. It sheds light on the interaction of children with algorithms, their immersion into the digital world, and the protections that ought to be in place to ensure their safety, security, and privacy. Since AI has become such an integral aspect of children's lives, especially through interactions and learning, this lightning talk best fits under the IGF 2024's theme of 'Advancing Human Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age". The session delves into children’s interactions with smart toys, online games and social media; it zooms in on the effects of these digital entertainment platforms on children’s health, development, and social interactions. The session explores the existing policies and regulations and provides recommendations aligned to the existing gaps and potential threats to children. Whilst providing a unique focus on children’s entertainment in the African context, an under explored and often overlooked area in the literature, this session will deeply reflect on the impact of AI on children and the need to develop ethical AI principles that directly apply to them. This session aims to ultimately provide guiding principles and policies to take into consideration in the design, development, and deployment of AI-enabled tools that children interact with.
1) The speaker will provide scope for responses to their respective talks by raising thought-provoking questions which should encourage input from participants. 2) The session will be designed in a way that facilitates equal participation from online and onsite participants through the use of online tools to enhance engagement during the session.
Report
Providing educational training to children in schools to teach them how to navigate AI uses safely
Raise awareness through campaigns that will help children, parents, teachers, guardians, nannies and caregivers become more cognisant of harms and risks affiliated with AI, and also how to mitigate these risks.
Engaging in conversations with Big Tech companies to ensure that the AI they develop bears African children and their unique needs and contexts in mind
Children need to be included in the design phase of AI and they need to be involved in policy discussions to ensure adequate and relevant regulatory frameworks are developed to suit their needs.
A multi-stakeholder approach needs to be taken to ensure that different sectors are contributing to the equitable development and use of AI for children.
The rapid integration of AI into children's daily lives presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges across Africa. From educational tools to entertainment platforms, AI is reshaping childhood experiences, particularly as children engage with technology from as early as four months old.
AI-powered platforms are helping bridge educational gaps in resource-limited areas through virtual tutoring and personalized learning experiences. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are leading integration efforts of AI in classrooms to address teacher shortages and enhance educational quality.
The entertainment sector has seen significant transformation through AI-driven platforms like YouTube Kids and social media applications. An estimated 440 million African children are expected to be using AI-driven platforms by 2025. The gaming industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to reach USD 1 billion by 2024, with countries like South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt leading in participation rates.
Key Challenges and Risks
- Digital Divide and Access
- Stark disparities exist in digital access across Africa
- Only 5% of children in West and Central Africa have internet access at home
- This compares to 59% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- Mental Health and Social Impact
- Rising concerns about social media addiction
- Increased anxiety and depression linked to platform usage
- Sleep disruption from excessive screen time
- Cyberbullying affecting approximately 30% of South African children
- Exposure to inappropriate content and misinformation
- Exploitation and Safety
- Growing concerns about online predation and exploitation
- 67% of South African children report exposure to sexual content online
- Risks of data privacy breaches and personal information misuse
- Emerging threats from deepfake technology and child sexual abuse material
- Resource Extraction and Digital Colonialism
- Continuation of exploitative practices through mineral extraction (e.g., cobalt mining)
- Perpetuation of inequality in AI development and benefit distribution
- Limited representation of African contexts in AI development
Progress in Protection Frameworks
Africa has made significant strides in developing protective frameworks:
- First region globally to implement a Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy
- Countries like Rwanda, Zambia, Senegal, and Zimbabwe have developed national strategies
- UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's General Comment No. 25 provides guidelines for digital rights
- UNICEF's Policy Guidance on AI for Children offers additional protective frameworks
Recommended Actions
- Education and Awareness
- Implement comprehensive digital literacy programs
- Educate children, parents, and teachers about online risks
- Develop cultural and contextually appropriate safety guidelines
- Industry Accountability
- Enforce stronger content moderation systems
- Require transparency in AI algorithms affecting children
- Implement robust data privacy protections
- Policy Development
- Create specific AI-related protections for children
- Ensure policies reflect African contexts and needs
- Include children's voices in policy development
The Path Forward
The future of African children in the digital age requires balanced intervention that maximizes opportunities while minimizing risks. Success depends on coordinated efforts between governments, industry stakeholders, and civil society to ensure:
- Equitable access to digital resources
- Protection of children's rights and safety
- Development of context-appropriate solutions
- Empowerment of children to navigate digital spaces safely
Feedback/questions received from other participants:
1. What specific challenges do African children face in terms of their well-being when it comes to AI?
African children face numerous vulnerabilities that are unique from children in the Global South. Often times AI is developed with a very specific end-user in mind; African children are usually not considered when AI technologies are being designed. Therefore, most of the AI they engage in is not adapted to their cultures, languages or contexts. This can further reinforce biases, discrimination and inequalities that already exist in many African countries. This can affect the mental health and well-being of African children, which in turn can have implications on inter-personal relations, academic performance etc.
2. Is AI the solution to addressing inequality?
No it is not, AI has already proven to exacerbate existing inequalities not only in Africa but across the world. These inequalities are systemic issues that need to be addressed first before AI can be brought into the picture.
3. Should children be involved in policy development?
Yes, absolutely; none of us have experienced a childhood where AI existed, therefore, it is important to include children in these conversations as they have the firsthand experiences of interacting and using AI from very young ages. They can identify where the issues lie and how it can be dealt with.
4. Parents also play an important role in children's use and exposure to AI, they should also be informed about the harms AI pose for their children.