The digital revolution has transformed the world, offering incredible opportunities for children to learn, connect, and grow. From access to education and healthcare to new forms of play and creativity, digital technologies have the power to unlock potential like never before. Artificial intelligence (AI) can also help children, making learning easier and more personalised, enhancing their creativity, promoting critical thinking, and developing problem-solving skills. But with these advancements come serious online risks to children —cyberbullying, exploitation, and the dark side of artificial intelligence (AI), including AI-generated sexual abuse imagery. How do we ensure a safe digital future for every child?

This March, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Grigol Robakidze University co-hosted, together with other international partners, a dedicated Conference on Child Rights and the Digital Environment, Including AI. Held from March 10-12, 2025, in Tbilisi, Georgia, this event marked the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was a unique platform to address the challenges and opportunities digital technologies and AI present for children’s rights.

Why This Matters

The rapid expansion of the digital environment, including AI, has created unprecedented opportunities for the realisation of children’s rights. However, it also poses significant challenges. Children today face threats to their privacy, exposure to harmful content, and new forms of abuse and exploitation, such as AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake revenge porn. These issues are not just technological—they are deeply rooted in child rights violations.

The conference built on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment and served as an important platform to foster dialogue on how different stakeholders can collaborate to address the challenges children face online. The Conference brought together representatives from international organisations, governments, academia, civil society, and children themselves to ensure their voices are heard in shaping policies that affect their lives.

Two experts from Terre des Hommes International Federation participated in the Conference and shared critical insights during the session on “AI Governance for Child Rights” .

Nathalie Meurens, Senior EU Advocacy Manager from Terre des Hommes Netherlands, brought a regional/EU perspective, focusing on the urgent need to regulate AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). She highlighted the false belief that AI-generated CSAM is victimless and harmless. In reality, such content contributes to the sexual objectification of children, normalises abuse, and can lead to increased demand for real CSAM. Nathalie emphasised the importance of criminalising all forms of CSAM, regardless of how they are produced or used.

Federica Giannotta, Head of Advocacy and Domestic Programmes from Terre des Hommes Italy, provided a national perspective from Italy, showcasing Terre des Hommes’ multi-level approach to protecting children from online violence. This includes giving children a voice to understand emerging trends, advocating for legislative reforms to increase the online protection of children and monitoring the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Italy. Federica also highlighted the need to expand legal definitions of revenge porn to include AI-generated content, such as deepfake sexual images, which are not currently covered under Italian law.

The conference was a call to action for governments, policymakers, and the international community to prioritise child safety in the digital age. Terre des Hommes will advocate for strong legislation to tackle the dark side of technology, emphasising that all AI-generated CSAM, regardless of how it was produced, and its intended use, and revenge porn must be criminalised.

There is also a pressing need to raise awareness about emerging forms of AI-driven abuse, such as deepfake sexual images of children. These virtual images, created using AI programs, often appear real and can cause significant harm. Yet, many countries lack the legal frameworks to address these crimes effectively.

By fostering dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, a unified approach to safeguarding children’s rights in the face of AI’s growing influence can be established.

Let’s work together to create a digital world where every child is safe, respected, and empowered.