Ethical considerations of AI chatbots in child justice

Join us for the final event of 2024’s i-ACCESS webinar series organise by Terre des hommes Hungary  in collaboration with the Justice with Children Global Initiative!

The potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve children’s rights is undeniable: AI-driven tools can facilitate learning for children with disabilities, support child protection services in recognising and stopping abuse, and improve children’s access to justice and legal information. For instance, the i-ACCESS chatbot helps child victims learn more about their rights and the legal proceedings in which they are involved in a simple, child-friendly way. 
However, AI development must prioritise children’s safety and safeguard their rights and privacy. How can we guarantee the balance between innovation and ethics?

We’ll discuss it with field experts during our one-hour webinar on 18 December 2024, at 14:00 CET.

Register to access the live webinar or get the recording.

The event will explore ethical risks in designing and developing chatbots for children.

Topics will include balancing competing rights and interests, such as child protection and child participation, as well as privacy rights and tailored user experiences.
Speakers will also present practical solutions to address ethical concerns and ensure that AI tools are safe and valuable for children.

Don’t miss this unique learning opportunity: register now!

Meet the panelists 

Boglárka Jánoskúti is a child rights expert with deep expertise in children's rights, migration, and child-safe technology. Her consultancy work spans international organisations, promoting safer, equitable digital environments for children. She will talk about the i-ACCESS legal study, The potential and limitations of AI chatbots to improve children’s access to child-friendly justice. Boglárka will also illustrate the steps taken to ensure that the i-ACCESS chatbot offers reliable, tailored and child-friendly information while upholding children’s privacy, safety and rights.

Ayça Atabey is a lawyer and a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of law, education, and child-computer interaction. Her current research focuses on child-centred AI design and co-creation of children's rights-respecting policy frameworks for fostering responsible GenAI in the school system. She will illustrate some of her case studies on meaningful child participation.

Ndeye Diodio Calloga is a child and women's rights expert, who has spearheaded numerous initiatives for vulnerable groups. She also brings extensive experience in chatbot development, and will discuss the legal, technical and content requirements for an ethical chatbot.

Fanni Somfai is the Project Officer for the i-ACCESS MyRights initiative at Terre des Hommes Hungary. She holds an LL.M. focused on child protection in the digital world. She will introduce the webinar and the i-ACCESS project. 

About the i-ACCESS series

The event is part of the webinar series organised within the framework of the  “i-ACCESS MyRights” project by Terre des hommes Hungary in collaboration with the Justice with Children Global Initiative. The series explores digital trends within the child justice system and their impact on the rights of children in contact with the law. 

In the first webinar, we explored AI benefits for children’s access to information, AI applications in child justice, and the crucial role of child rights impact assessment and child participation, as we advocate in our policy brief.

In the second webinar, we discussed the challenges, opportunities, and regulatory frameworks shaping the current AI landscape in Europe, including the practical implications of the EU AI Act, and its impact on the i-ACCESS chatbot.

In the third webinar, panellists from the US, Brazil and Europe shared real-world examples of AI-powered legal aid initiatives and cross-sectoral insights into how AI can enhance or challenge access to legal aid for vulnerable children.

About the project

The i-ACCESS MyRights project, co-funded by the European Union, aims to revolutionise access to justice for child victims in the EU by developing a user-friendly digital tool. By presenting legal information in a clear, child-friendly manner, this AI-driven solution ensures that children are better informed about their rights and roles in criminal proceedings, fostering a more inclusive and accessible justice system. 

The project is implemented by Terre des hommes Regional Hub in Hungary, Terre des hommes Hellas, Terre des hommes Romania, Social Activities and Practice Institute in Bulgaria, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, Noldus in the Netherlands and Lawren.io in Belgium.