International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)

KIKI – AI applications in line with children's rights: Empowering children and enabling educational professionals to participate in digital life safely and in a child-friendly manner

The topic of AI permeates all areas of life, even for children. Younger children in particular often consider digital technologies to be human-like and confide secrets in them or ask them for advice. From a children's rights perspective, it is important to protect children's rights to privacy and healthy development and personality growth, as well as to ensure their rights to protection from commercial exploitation, while at the same time furthering their rights to play, education, and participation.

In the interdisciplinary research project KIKI, we are working with preschool children and educators to investigate their needs and perspectives in a participatory manner. We are developing materials in a model project that strengthen various rights of children in early childhood in the spirit of positive media. The aim is also to enable educational professionals to develop a basic understanding of AI functions with children so that even younger children can learn to act in a self-determined way in digital environments – and thereby support their evolving autonomy.

In our ethical project, we develop children's rights perspectives on the topic, examine questions of digital wellbeing and best interests of children, and investigate which aspects of “Leiblichkeit” (embodiment, corporeality) are important for the healthy development of children in early childhood. We also reflect on research ethics issues in participatory research with children and develop guidelines for child-friendly AI.

Project description

Building on a children’s rights–based approach, the project conducts participatory research with preschool-aged children to explore their needs and perspectives regarding AI applications, drawing on the combined expertise of children’s ethics, AI ethics, media psychology, applied computer science, and early childhood education professionals. Within a model project, materials are developed and tested in collaboration with the Early Childhood Computer Science research group. In line with the concept of positive media, these materials aim to strengthen various children’s rights in early childhood (e.g., the rights to play, participation, protection, and privacy). Early childhood education professionals are empowered to recognize and critically reflect on ethical requirements for AI systems designed for children and to explore how a basic understanding of AI mechanisms can be developed together with children, enabling them to learn to act autonomously in digital environments.

The project generates empirical data on children’s needs and develops concepts through participatory engagement with preschool children. In order to create materials for early childhood education professionals that adequately reflect the needs of the target groups, children’s own perspectives must be actively sought (Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). To this end, a research ethics framework is developed, and data are collected using child-centered methods. Expert interviews with early childhood education professionals are conducted to identify experiences, reservations, and enabling conditions for key approaches in practice, while also taking into account the professionals’ needs and ideas. Based on psychological and ethical approaches to children’s evolving capacities, concepts for educational practice are developed and further differentiated.

In collaboration with experts in applied AI and rights-by-design, concepts for positive AI offerings are developed that incorporate children’s perspectives.

Based on the project findings, guidelines for the development of AI are additionally developed, piloted, and disseminated (e.g., avoiding anthropomorphization, avoiding intrusion into children’s lived experiences, ensuring data minimization and transparency).

 

Scientific project description

Based on a child rights approach, research is conducted in collaboration with children in preschool settings on their needs and perspectives with regard to AI applications, drawing on child ethics, AI ethics, media psychology, applied computer science, and educational experts. In a model project, materials are being developed and tested in collaboration with the Elementary Computer Science research group that strengthen various children's rights (e.g., rights to play, participate, protection, and privacy) in early childhood in the spirit of positive media. One underlying idea is that educational professionals should be empowered to recognize ethical requirements for AI systems for children and to reflect on how a basic understanding of AI mechanisms can be developed with children so that they learn to act independently and in a self-determined way in digital environments.

The project generates empirical data on children's needs and develops concepts for participation with preschool children. In order to develop materials for educational professionals that also take into account the needs of children as a vulnerable group, the views of the children themselves must be obtained (Art. 12 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). To this end, a research ethics concept is being developed and data is being collected using child-centered methods.  Expert interviews with educational professionals will be used to identify the experiences, reservations, and conditions for success of key approaches in practice. The needs and ideas of the professionals will also be taken into account. Based on psychological and ethical approaches to children's evolving capacities, concepts for educational practice will be developed and differentiated.

Together with experts from the fields of applied AI and rights-by-design, concepts for positive applications that take children's perspectives into account are developed.Based on the project results, additional guidelines for the development of AI (e.g., no anthropomorphization, no invasion of children's experiences, data minimization, and transparency) are developed, tested, and disseminated.

Publications and Materials

Project Management

  • Dr. Ingrid Stapf: Senior Researcher – research focus media ethics, children´s ethics, children´s rights
  • Prof. Dr. Jessica Heesen: head of research group media ethics, philosophy of technology & AI

Funded by BMBFSFJ

Duration: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028
Funding reference number: 01NV2508B

Project partners

Social Psychology: Media and Communication at the University of Duisburg-Essen
Prof. Dr. Nicole Krämer: Head of the Social Psychology Department (Consortium managment)
Msc. Natalia Szymczyk: Research assistant

Applied Computer Science at the University of Bamberg
Prof. Dr. Ute Schmid: Chair of Cognitive Systems / Bamberg Center for Artificial Intelligence (Head of the AI Education in Elementary Schools subproject (KIKI-KIMA))
Alisa Münsterberg: Research associate

Associate Partners

KSI Katholisch-Soziales Institut (head of research group media ethics, philosophy of technology & AI)
CaritasCampus (training for educational professionals and social workers)
CaritasSozialdienste Rhein-Kreis Neuss GmbH (kindergartens and daycare centers)