{
  "id": 586607,
  "title": "UN warns AI regulation is failing to keep pace with risks facing children and youth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/un-warns-ai-regulation-is-failing-to-keep-pace-with-risks-facing",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-11T17:42:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/un-warns-ai-regulation-is-failing-to-keep-pace-with-risks-facing-children-and-youth/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent UN briefing ahead of International Youth Day on August 12, the United Nations has sounded the alarm over the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence outpacing regulations designed to safeguard children and young individuals. The UN Department of Global Communications released the brief titled \"Strengthening Information Integrity: Issue Brief 3,\" advocating for immediate action to prioritize children's rights, safety, and involvement in the development of emerging artificial intelligence governance frameworks. The briefing underscores the urgent need for collaboration among governments, technology companies, advertisers, media organizations, and researchers to address the multifaceted risks confronting children and youth in the digital age. With over 82% of young people aged 15 to 24 globally connected online, they face an array of threats, including exposure to deceptive and misleading content, as well as AI-enhanced exploitation. The UN highlights that these dangers cannot be solely attributed to individual decisions or insufficient parental oversight, as they are also rooted in digital business models that capitalize on attention and personal data. Speaking at the launch of the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Geneva, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the imperative of safeguarding children from unregulated AI, emphasizing that when a child is harmed, the response cannot be \"the algorithm did it.\" The UN has called for an AI Child Safety Pledge, urging all AI systems accessible to children to adhere to stringent safety standards. As regulatory frameworks lag significantly behind the rapid pace of AI advancements, the UN stresses the criticality of embedding children's rights into AI governance while the laws are still being formulated. Beyond protection, the UN also champions greater participation by children and youth in decision-making processes that govern the digital spaces they predominantly inhabit. While young individuals are prolific users and creators of digital content, their voices remain underrepresented in policy discussions and research that shape technology regulations. Consequently, the UN brief advocates for a dual approach that combines protection with active participation, acknowledging children and young people not only as potential victims of digital harms but also as innovators, advocates, and organizers within the digital ecosystem. Responsibilities are delineated across various stakeholders: governments are tasked with crafting clear, rights-respecting regulations while empowering children, parents, guardians, and educators to navigate digital environments securely. Technology companies and AI developers are urged to prioritize child safety and rights in product design and business models. Advertisers are encouraged to demand enhanced safeguards in digital advertising, while news organizations are called upon to invest in journalism that caters to children and youth as both audiences and content contributors. Researchers and civil society organizations are encouraged to provide independent evidence, oversight, and advocacy, particularly in areas where the impact of emerging technologies on young people remains inadequately understood. The UN also emphasizes the vital role of children and young people themselves as active participants in shaping information environments. This third installment in a series of UN briefs applying the Global Principles for Information Integrity, launched by Guterres in June 2024, serves as a pivotal framework for coordinated action among all stakeholders committed to ensuring a safe and equitable digital future for the next generation.",
  "summary": "The United Nations has warned that the pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development and digital platform evolution is outstripping the regulatory frameworks designed to protect children and youth online. In a new issue brief, the UN Department of Global Communications has called for urgent action to incorporate children's rights, safety, and participation at the core of AI governance. The brief highlights that over 82 percent of young people aged 15 to 24 are online globally, exposing them to risks such as synthetic and misleading content, as well as AI-facilitated exploitation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an AI Child Safety Pledge, urging governments, technology companies, and other stakeholders to act collectively in protecting children from unregulated AI.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}