The power and promise of artificial intelligence is one of the defining features of our digital age — but so too are the ethical questions and risks it brings for children and young people.
In mid-November, I had the privilege of joining a remarkable gathering of experts, advocates, faith leaders, policymakers and technologists – including from OpenAI – in Vatican City for the High-Level Meeting on Child Dignity in the Artificial Intelligence Era. Our shared task was not merely to talk about technology, but to consider what kind of world we want for children as AI becomes increasingly woven into the fabric of everyday life.
This convention brought forward a Declaration for the digital age that places the dignity and rights of every child at its heart. Anchored in six key pillars — from protection and safety, to ethical and transparent technology, to global governance and accountability — the Declaration is a call to action for governments, tech companies, civil society, faith groups, and educators alike. I am immensely proud that Child Helpline International is a signatory to this Declaration.
“Governments and international organizations have a responsibility to design and implement policies that protect the dignity of minors in this era of AI. This includes updating existing data protection laws to address new challenges posed by emerging technologies, and promoting ethical standards for the development and the use of AI.”
– Pope Leo XIV
As the line between technology and human interaction blurs, one message rang especially true throughout the event: human dignity must not be diluted into algorithms or reduced to data points. AI systems can offer incredible opportunities — in education, health, and creative expression — but without ethical guardrails and a human-centred compass, they risk shaping children’s experiences in ways that are neither understood nor desired by the young people themselves.
For those of us working closely with children and young people — particularly those in distress — this matters deeply. Young people who contact child helplines often want to know who they are really speaking with. They ask, “Is this another person on the other end of the line? Or a bot?” Their need for authentic, empathetic human connection is real and urgent. While AI can support and augment service delivery in many ways, it should not replace the human contact that lies at the core of effective help-seeking journeys. At CHI, we are committed to ensuring that human-centred support remains paramount in all interventions and innovations. At CHI, we are committed to ensuring that human-centred support remains paramount in all interventions and innovations.
Over the past year, through our work with UNICEF and the Global Cyber Security Forum, we have been deepening our research into online harms, and strengthening the capacity of our global network to respond to them. We also focused on technology-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation through our Safe Online–funded project, Voice Up Africa! At the same time, we’ve recognized that technology is not only a source of risk, it can also offer protection; this is why we have collaborated closely with the ITU and the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children in developing the Protection through Online Participation Principles.
We are also actively developing guidelines on the responsible use of AI in child helplines, which we plan to share with our global membership in the new year. These guidelines will help child helplines navigate the opportunities and risks of AI — enabling them to innovate wisely without ever compromising the trust and human connection that children deserve. Across our membership, many child helplines are already integrating AI tools to support counselling, triage and response mechanisms, as well as data collection and analysis, where AI is proving significant added value when used responsibly.
In a world increasingly mediated by technology, we must hold fast to this principle: technology should serve humanity, not sideline it. Children and young people deserve nothing less. As we move forward, I am hopeful that the collaborative spirit and profound sense of shared responsibility on display in Rome will continue to guide our collective work — ensuring that the promise of AI enhances, rather than erodes, the dignity, hope and wellbeing of every child.
Helen Mason
Executive Director
