Children call for voice in AI future at groundbreaking summit in Kigali

By The Inspirer.

Kigali | April 3, 2025, In a landmark event for digital rights and child empowerment, 90 children from across eight African countries convened in Kigali and online on April 2, 2025, for the Children Global AI Summit on Africa.

Organized by Save the Children in partnership with Mtoto News, Children’s Voice Today, 5Rights Foundation, Qhala, and Uwezo Youth Empowerment, the summit provided a critical platform for young voices to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the continent.

Held as a side event to the Global AI Summit on Africa, the children-led forum sought to center the experiences, ideas, and expectations of Africa’s youth in AI policy discussions. From foundational AI education to data protection and digital inclusion, children shared their hopes, fears, and recommendations to ensure AI serves as a force for good in their lives and communities.

1. Children’s Participation in AI Decision-Making

Participants underscored the urgent need for meaningful youth inclusion in AI-related policies and decisions. With AI increasingly influencing education, job opportunities, digital safety, and even childhood experiences, children called for:

– AI literacy in schools:

Advocating for AI education as part of the curriculum to empower youth with knowledge and critical thinking skills to engage in AI discussions.

– Children’s advisory bodies:

Proposing the creation of dedicated platforms, such as child-led committees and forums, to influence AI governance structures.

– Policy inclusivity:

Urging stakeholders to move beyond adult-only discussions and recognize children as essential contributors to future-shaping technologies.

2. AI for Social Good and Inclusion

Children explored the potential of AI to solve real-world challenges faced in their communities, from climate change to accessibility and cultural preservation.

– Inclusive technology:

They highlighted the importance of AI tools tailored for African contexts, such as voice-assisted applications for children with disabilities and AI translation tools that support learning in local languages.

– Community-driven innovation:

Children emphasized that their creative ideas—if supported—could fuel AI solutions that address pressing social needs in health, education, and environmental sustainability.

– Cultural relevance:

They advocated for AI development that reflects African values, traditions, and languages to promote equity in the digital space.

3. Risks and Safeguards for AI and Child Safety

While acknowledging the benefits of AI, the summit also highlighted the dangers that unregulated AI can pose to children’s safety, autonomy, and well-being.

– Data protection by default:

Children called for stronger safeguards to prevent the exploitation of their personal information on AI-powered platforms.

– Transparency and trust:

They demanded clarity from AI developers about how systems work, what data they use, and how decisions are made.

– Bias and misinformation:

The group warned against AI-generated misinformation and biases that disproportionately harm marginalized communities, stressing the need for fairness and representation.

– Child-centered safety:

Participants urged companies to design AI systems with built-in protections, including parental controls and content moderation, to create safer digital environments.

4. Policy and Governance Recommendations

To ensure AI technologies benefit all children, participants proposed a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to governments, tech companies, and civil society:

– Child-inclusive AI policy frameworks:

Ensuring that children’s views and rights are formally integrated into AI governance.

– Accessible AI education:

Promoting the rollout of AI learning tools, including games and interactive platforms, to engage children of all backgrounds.

– Internet equity:

Advocating for universal internet access to close the digital divide and allow all children to benefit from AI opportunities.

– Ethical AI development:

Calling for binding regulations that prioritize safety, fairness, transparency, and child protection.

– Collaborative leadership:

Encouraging national ICT ministries and child rights organizations to champion youth participation in future AI policy discussions.

A Child-driven future for AI in Africa

The Children Global AI Summit on Africa marked a transformative moment in digital rights advocacy—placing children not just at the receiving end of AI impacts but at the center of its design and governance. As AI continues to shape Africa’s development path, the voices of its youngest citizens are becoming impossible to ignore.

“AI should not be something that happens to us, but something we shape,” one young participant from Rwanda stated during a panel. “Our ideas matter because we are the future—and the future needs to listen.”

With continued support and inclusion, African children are poised to become not just beneficiaries of AI, but co-creators of its future.