Navigating the AI Revolution: Safeguarding Children's Digital Future

Digital penetration in India is on the rise, exposing children to AI-driven platforms. Experts stress the need for a safe, inclusive framework to support child development. They call for evidence on AI's long-term effects on children, urging careful governance to maximize opportunities while minimizing risks.

As digital penetration in India accelerates, children face increasing exposure to AI-driven platforms, necessitating a secure and encouraging framework for nurturing young minds, highlighted Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood.

Sood emphasized the transformation AI systems are causing in learning, access to information, and behavioral responses among children, emphasizing the critical need for further investigation into AI's prolonged effects on a child's development.

Addressing a session at the AI Impact Summit 2026, Sood underscored the dual nature of AI as both opportunity and risk, advocating for strategies that enhance societal inclusion and limit over-reliance that may impede critical thinking. India is proactively advancing AI governance through initiatives like the India AI Mission and a newly released whitepaper on AI Safety.

(With inputs from agencies.)