Based on new data from 10 countries, UNICEF estimates that at least 20 million children have used AI, with adoption rates among young people more than three times higher than those of adults. The findings highlight how quickly the technology has become embedded in everyday life for children.
A significant number are using AI beyond education. Around two million children, or one in 10, reported turning to AI for advice about personal concerns, while approximately 13 million said they use it to assist with schoolwork. “AI is here. It is a growing part of all of our lives,” UNICEF said. “It is already shaping childhood around the world – for better and for worse.”
While the technology offers opportunities for education and creativity, UNICEF cautioned that understanding of its long-term impact remains limited. The agency warned that children are effectively growing up in what it described as a large-scale global experiment, with little clear evidence yet on how AI affects development, emotional well-being, or exposure to harm.
Concerns about risk are also growing among children themselves. One-third of those surveyed expressed fears that AI could be used for scams or misinformation, while a quarter worried about the potential misuse of images or videos, including the creation of harmful deepfakes.
UNICEF noted that children are often among the first to experience the negative consequences of poorly regulated technologies, despite having little influence over how these systems are designed or how their personal data is collected and used.
In response, the agency is calling on governments and technology companies to place children’s rights at the centre of AI development and regulation. It urged stronger safeguards against AI-enabled exploitation, improved transparency in how systems operate, and greater investment in research on AI’s impact on young people.
The organisation also emphasised the need to strengthen digital literacy among children and parents, while expanding equitable access to technology to prevent widening inequalities. “The choices made about AI now will shape children’s safety, privacy, well-being and their equal access to opportunities for decades to come,” UNICEF said.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
