UNICEF warns AI rules lag behind as millions of children turn to technology for learning and advice

Children around the world are embracing artificial intelligence at a pace far beyond that of adults, with millions already using the technology for schoolwork, learning and personal advice, prompting fresh concerns from UNICEF that protections for young users are failing to keep pace with its rapid growth.

In a statement issued on June 29, 2026, ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UNICEF said artificial intelligence has become a regular part of many children's daily lives, creating new opportunities for education and creativity while also exposing them to growing risks online.

Drawing on survey findings from 10 countries, the agency estimates that at least 20 million children have used AI, with uptake among young people occurring at more than three times the rate recorded among adults.

"AI is here. It is a growing part of all of our lives. And it is already shaping childhood around the world – for better and for worse. New evidence is laying bare the scale and speed of its uptake by children worldwide, while exposing the risks and divides emerging alongside it."

According to UNICEF, an estimated 13 million children use AI to assist with learning and completing homework, highlighting how quickly the technology is becoming embedded in education.

The analysis also found that more than two million children, representing one in every 10 respondents surveyed, turn to AI for guidance and advice on issues affecting them.

While the growing use of AI presents new possibilities for learning, UNICEF warned that the expansion of the technology is happening faster than the development of policies and safeguards needed to protect children.

"As children's use of AI accelerates, the rules that govern its use – including protections for children – are struggling to keep up. Children are more exposed to AI systems, including how they are designed, their underlying business models, and how their own data is used, yet have far less power to avoid or challenge them."

The agency said children are increasingly interacting with AI systems without fully understanding how they work, how their information is collected, or how decisions affecting them may be made.

UNICEF further cautioned that there is still limited evidence on the long-term effects of AI on children's development, emotional health and exposure to harmful online content.

"While AI has potential to bring opportunities for children to learn, play or be creative, evidence about its role in cognitive development, emotional dependency and exposure to harm is just emerging. In effect, a generation is growing up inside a global experiment."

The findings indicate that many children are already aware of the dangers associated with the technology.

One-third of children surveyed said they were concerned about AI being used to spread misinformation or support scams, while one-quarter feared their images or videos could be altered and turned into sexually explicit deepfakes.

"Too many systems are reaching children with no guardrails – safety, seemingly, an afterthought."

Ahead of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled for July 6-7, UNICEF called on governments, technology companies and international partners to place children's rights at the centre of efforts to regulate AI.

The agency urged increased investment in research to better understand the effects of AI on children, stronger legal measures against AI-enabled sexual exploitation and abuse, and the development of safer and more transparent AI systems.

It also called for improved AI literacy among children, parents and caregivers, as well as greater investment in digital infrastructure to help reduce inequalities in access to technology.

"This is a decisive moment. The choices made about AI now will shape children's safety, privacy, well-being and their equal access to opportunities for decades to come."