Age Against the Machine: A Call for Designing Ethical AI for and with Children

Abstract

Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) research is focused on cultivating, nurturing, and nudging children towards technology use and design. Recently, ethical aspects related to technology have come to the forefront, including the inherent limitations of technology, particularly related to Artificial intelligence (AI). Further, AI has a known diversity problem where age-inclusion can be sometimes forgotten. While various global and national policy frameworks on Children and AI are being developed, the approaches are child-centered but not child-led, restricting children from affecting their own digital futures. Further still, there is little discussion with children on the limitations, inherent biases, and lack of diversity in current design and development of AI. As AI evolves to mimic human-like cognition, emotions, conversations, and decision-making, its impact on children and their futures should be critically examined for, with, and by children. To this end, we invite NordiCHI conference participants and their children to critically examine the challenges towards AI, where all participants consider and reimagine alternative technology presents and futures. This workshop contributes to the ongoing work on Children and AI by including children as equal partners and empowering them to consider present and future challenges as experts of their own lives, with diverse interests, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.