Queen Mary University host world’s first Children’s AI summit

Queen's Building and text about the Children and AI conference

A partnership between the University’s Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI) and The Alan Turing Institute, the event brought together over 100 children aged 8-18, to discuss and explore how AI impacts them and how they can shape its future.  

From the event, the Children’s Manifesto for the Future of AI was born. The manifesto, which outlines what young people want world leaders to consider when developing policies and regulations around the use of AI, now and in the future was presented as part of the 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit.

Through interactive sessions, children and young people shared their views on AI – from how it can positively impact on their lives to the concerns they have about the technology leading, among other things, to an invasion of privacy and feelings of isolation.  

The children and young people also shared that they believe AI should be used to keep children and others safe online and support education through personalised learning, especially in supporting children with learning difficulties, autism and neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia 

The group were most excited about how AI could be used to help protect the environment and lead to scientific breakthroughs. 

As they are exposed to AI from a very young age, those aged 8-18 are the most impacted by AI advances, with the technology shaping how they learn and interact with the world. Yet despite the significant impact this technology has on their lives, their voices are the most underrepresented when it comes to making decisions in relation to the design, development and deployment of AI, as well as in policy-making and regulatory discussions.  

This world-first summit hopes to change this by creating a children’s manifesto on the future of AI which will be presented at the AI Action Summit next week. This global event will be attended by Heads of State and Government from around the world, leaders of international organisations, tech companies, academics and NGOs, meaning those in power will directly hear the hopes ands fears children have when it comes to AI.  

Professor Colin Bailey CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary University of London: “As with all emerging technologies, it’s important that policies and regulations are developed which support the safe use of AI. It’s also vital that the voices of all impacted by the use of this technology are heard and considered when developing these policy regulations. For too long the voices of children, whose education, careers and lives in general will be most impacted by AI, have been left out of conversations regarding the use of AI.  

“That’s why I’m so proud Queen Mary University has partnered with The Alan Turing Institute to host this fantastic event, which put children’s voices at the heart of discussions about how AI impacts their lives, today and in the future, and which, through the development of a manifesto, will ensure global leaders hear what they have to say.” 

Dr Mhairi Aitken, Senior Ethics Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, said: “AI technology continues to advance at a rapid pace but so far children have been overlooked in discussions around AI policy or regulation and children’s unique experiences with the technology are not well understood by decision makers in AI policy or industry.  

“Involving children in these discussions is absolutely essential to advancing responsible innovation to realise the potential value that AI can bring. That’s why we’re so excited to have the opportunity to hear from these children and to bring their views to the AI Action Summit in Paris where important decisions on the future of AI will be made.”  

Department for Education Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, said: “Through our Plan for Change, we are determined to drive high and rising standards for every child so we can break down the barriers to opportunity – and that includes access to tech innovations for all.  

“This government is putting children at the heart of policy making, and I am personally committed to putting their voices at the heart of our work on AI. It is fantastic to hear some of the children involved in this landmark summit are already supportive of AI’s potential for education. The government is funding development of AI tools that will be safer and more reliable for classroom use – including tools that support teachers to give more personalised feedback and create tailored learning plans for students.  

“Our focus is on harnessing the potential of AI to save time on school admin so teachers can focus on delivering brilliant lessons. We will continue to explore an understanding of how it can be used effectively and safely by students.”  

The Children’s AI summit is supported by the LEGO Group, Elevate Great, and EY, with collaboration from the NSPCC, National Youth Theatre, the PSHE Association, Teens in AI, 5RightsFoundation, Children’s Parliament and Children’s Media Foundation.  

The summit and corresponding manifesto will be included in the programme of side events which contribute to the debate on the different themes of the AI Action summit, labelled ‘On the Road to the 2025 AI Action Summit’.