Concern 837 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Youth and future-generations representation
AI governance can overlook young people and future generations when decisions prioritize current adult interests and short-term results.
Understanding the concern
Children may use AI directly or be affected by school, family and public-service systems they did not choose. They can explain experiences adults miss, but meaningful participation requires age-appropriate support and protection. People not yet born cannot take part, so longer-term effects also need explicit consideration rather than being assumed away.
UNICEF's guidance calls for ongoing, meaningful child participation in AI policies and systems. Think of designing a school only with administrators: students' daily experience changes the questions that need asking. Youth consultation should not be a decorative event, and today's young people should not be expected to speak for every future person.
An example
A school asks students to pose for the launch of an AI policy but does not involve them in decisions about monitoring or data use.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- AI
- Software that learns patterns from examples or uses rules to perform tasks such as recognizing images or generating text. It can make mistakes and does not understand every situation as a person would.
Evidence and its limits
UNICEF provides child-rights guidance. Representation of future generations is a broader governance question, not an authority automatically granted to a youth panel.
UNICEF Innocenti · December 2025 · Rights-based guidance
Guidance on AI and children, version 3.0 ↗ (opens in a new tab)Child-centered design recommendations; not a causal study of developmental harm from all AI use.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
A question to discuss
How can young people influence the choices affecting them, and who examines consequences beyond the current budget cycle?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Accountability
Accountability means being answerable for decisions and taking responsibility for repair. It requires more than saying that the software made the choice.
Name the person or team responsible, keep useful records, and give them authority to correct problems. Make the route to a complaint clear to the people affected.
Ask together: Who will answer for the outcome and help put things right?
Prudence
Prudence means using careful judgment before and during action. It balances worthwhile opportunities with the need to avoid harm that could have been anticipated.
Start with a limited trial, set stopping points, and prefer choices that can be undone when uncertainty is high. Review what happens rather than assuming the original plan remains sound.
Ask together: What is a careful next step, and when should we stop or change course?
Unity
Unity means working toward shared purposes while making room for real differences. It does not require everyone to have the same experience, beliefs, or opinion.
Look for a goal people can share, then explore disagreements about how to reach it. Make sure quieter or less powerful voices can influence the result.
Ask together: What purpose can we share while respecting our differences?
Editorial ratings
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