Ensuring Child Safety in the AI Era: A Policy Agenda for Responsible AI in Education

AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is deeply embedded in the lives of children and their educational experiences. Research indicates that a significant majority of teenagers have already engaged with generative AI, primarily for academic assistance. Alarmingly, many parents remain unaware of their children's AI usage, highlighting a critical gap in oversight. Beyond generative AI, machine learning systems are integral to countless applications used by children at school and home. Furthermore, a substantial portion of schools either lack AI policies or have failed to communicate them effectively to students and parents. This pervasive, often unmonitored, integration underscores the immediate need for clear guidelines and protective measures.

To effectively safeguard children in the AI era, policy efforts must focus on three interconnected pillars: building a coordinated AI safety framework, championing legislation for youth privacy and online safety, and ensuring every child can benefit from AI's promise. These pillars are essential for creating a protective ecosystem that addresses the unique challenges posed by AI. The goal is to foster innovation responsibly, ensuring that technological advancements serve the best interests of the next generation without compromising their well-being or future opportunities. This requires a comprehensive approach that moves beyond voluntary guidelines to enforceable regulations.

To ensure that all children can benefit from the transformative potential of AI, the administration must actively support comprehensive digital literacy initiatives and work to prevent the deepening of the digital divide. This involves providing periodically updated guidance on the best uses of AI technology for schools, teachers, students, and caregivers, highlighting meaningful applications in education. Collaboration between the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation (NSF) is crucial for developing professional development guidelines and administering funding to support educator training in AI. Furthermore, joint efforts between the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Education should focus on administering funds for digital literacy programs that benefit both students and caregivers, ensuring guidance dynamically addresses emerging risks and safety concerns. Federal agencies, including NIST, NTIA, FTC, FCC, and ED, should work collaboratively to establish a clearinghouse for AI developments, periodically alerting consumers and digital literacy organizations to both positive and negative advancements, similar to the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee's work on AI-generated robocalls.

For AI policies to be effective, they must possess 'teeth' – meaning they require robust enforcement mechanisms. Voluntary frameworks and suggestions have historically proven insufficient in protecting children, as evidenced by the failures of social media platforms to self-regulate. The financial incentives for technology companies do not inherently align with safeguarding children's well-being. Therefore, standards and requirements must be legally binding, with companies held accountable through effective enforcement channels. This includes well-funded expert regulators, private rights of action, and tools such as fines and injunctions. The next administration can bolster enforcement by allocating sufficient funding for government positions dedicated to enforcing these laws. The burden of assessing AI tools for children should not fall on individual states, school districts, or other actors; a centralized, enforceable federal approach is necessary to ensure consistent and effective protection for all children.