Guidance on AI and Children (Version 3.0)
Version 3.0 of UNICEF's flagship child-rights framework on artificial intelligence, updating the 2021 Policy Guidance on AI for Children. It applies child-rights principles to the design, deployment, and governance of AI systems that affect children, with new material added throughout — including a section on AI companions used by children.
Publisher
UNICEF Innocenti — Global Office of Research and Foresight
Published
1 Dec 2025
Added
1 week ago
DOI
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Key Findings
- Version 3 (2025) adds a dedicated focus on AI companions used by children, alongside the AI supply chain (child labour, datasets contaminated with harmful content) and environmental impacts.
- Applies child-rights principles to AI design and governance across the systems children encounter.
- Frames obligations for governments and developers to protect children from AI-related harms while supporting beneficial uses.
Methodology Notes
Child-rights guidance framework; Version 3.0 published December 2025 (date precision: month). Institutional authorship (individual authors not listed). unicef.org returns HTTP 403 to automated fetchers; title, version, December-2025 date, and the 'AI companions used by children' addition were verified via an archived copy of the official UNICEF Innocenti page (Wayback snapshot, 2026-06-01). Distinct from the already-held UNICEF/Tech Legality brief 'When AI becomes a friend' (June 2026).
Sources
UNICEF Innocenti — Guidance on AI and Children (primary)
Guidance on AI and Children v3.0 (PDF)
Archived snapshot (Wayback Machine) — preserved against link rot
Tags
Cite This
APA
UNICEF Innocenti — Global Office of Research and Foresight (2025). Guidance on AI and Children (Version 3.0). UNICEF Innocenti — Global Office of Research and Foresight. https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/policy-guidance-ai-children