NIC.br hosts UNICEF event on artificial intelligence and the use of ICT by children and adolescents

Publication launched at the meeting presents comparative data on the use of ICT by children and adolescents in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay


The Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), through the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), hosted the "Artificial Intelligence and Children" Workshop on Monday (9) and Tuesday (10), promoted by UNICEF. The event aimed to address the needs and challenges of different sectors of society in Latin America and the Caribbean regarding the rights of children and adolescents in the formulation and implementation of artificial intelligence. It also sought to identify solutions to promote public policies on the rights of these youths, as well as to gather regional contributions.

“By hosting UNICEF's workshop, promoting last year's UNESCO AI Forum, and participating in public consultations on the subject within the government scope, NIC.br has sought to actively engage in the debate on the impacts of artificial intelligence,” highlighted Demi Getschko (NIC.br). During the workshop's opening, Getschko emphasized the importance of surveys that measure Internet use by children and adolescents and the need for collaboration between entities and countries to discuss advances in this area. Cristine Hoepers (CERT.br/NIC.br) stressed that new technologies are constantly developing and that young people need to understand what opportunities and risks are associated with these technologies to protect themselves best.

During the opening, Florence Bauer (UNICEF representative in Brazil) highlighted the lack of a childhood and adolescence focus in AI project development. “It is necessary to address these issues concerning children and adolescents so they can genuinely benefit from the opportunities this technology brings.” In the same vein, Lasse Keisalo (Finnish Consulate in São Paulo) emphasized the need to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks that AI offers.

The need to prepare children to live in a technologically changing world was also addressed by Steven Vosloo (UNICEF), who highlighted the importance of putting young people at the center of AI strategies, conducted by both governments and companies: “Communication between governmental and business sectors is essential to develop more efficient uses of AI that young people can leverage their opportunities and mitigate their risks.” According to Vosloo, companies need to understand that young people may end up using products not created for this target audience, making it even more necessary to involve young people in AI development.

UNICEF's principles regarding Artificial Intelligence were presented by Virginia Dignum (UNICEF consultant). For her, AI systems should be developed to respect and promote the rights of children and adolescents, be transparent and easily understood by young people, and ensure that young people can control their information: “We need to think about more inclusive AI, putting young people at the center of developing these projects.”

Childhood and Adolescence in the Digital Age

In addition to participating in discussions and hosting the event, NIC.br, through Cetic.br, contributed to the publication Infancy and Adolescence in the Digital Era - A Comparative Report of the Kids Online Studies from Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay, edited by CEPAL with support from UNICEF and UNESCO. Launched on Tuesday (10) during the "Artificial Intelligence and Children" Workshop, the report presents comparative data on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by children and adolescents from these countries, available in Spanish at: https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/45212-infancia-adolescencia-la-era-digital-un-informe-comparativo-estudios-kids-online. Later this year, Cetic.br will make the Portuguese version of this content available.

The study indicates that the most widespread mode of Internet access is at home via mobile phone, representing a form of partial digital inclusion for young people, with restricted access to certain types of platforms, according to the report.

Comparative data also show that in recent decades investment in digital infrastructure for primary and secondary education has been significant in Latin American countries, particularly in the four focus countries of the analysis. As a result, integrating technologies into Latin American educational systems has represented an opportunity to help children and adolescents face challenges and seize opportunities generated by digital culture.

“The school context is strategic for democratizing the opportunities associated with online participation of children and adolescents and mitigating potential risks. Thus, it is crucial for teachers to develop teaching skills to actively mediate these technologies in the classroom,” emphasizes Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br. Although digital public education policies focus more on developing digital skills, the study points out that much needs to be done to strengthen the role of schools and teachers in this regard.

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet availability and use in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on network development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Study Center under UNESCO's auspices. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br            
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a private, non-profit civil entity that, in addition to implementing the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its responsibilities: coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding, and addressing security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating Internet traffic exchange points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling the Brazilian community's participation in the global Web development and subsidizing public policy formulation — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to Internet use and development in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of the offered services. Based on principles of multilateralism, transparency, and democracy, CGI.br represents a multistakeholder Internet governance model with effective participation of all sectors of society in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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