Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, but for millions of children, it is also creating new pathways to exploitation and abuse. Each year, more than 300 million children fall victim to online sexual exploitation, and AI is amplifying the scale, speed, and sophistication of these crimes. Algorithms designed to capture attention and share knowledge can instead lead children towards harmful content, while generative AI is being weaponised to create explicit material and deepen the crisis of online abuse.

As technology progresses, so must our response. This session will explore the intersection of AI, child safety, and digital regulation, highlighting both the risks and the urgent need for proactive solutions. Drawing on global policy trends and multi-stakeholder efforts, Baroness Joanna Shields - tech veteran, founder of WeProtect and former UK Minister for Internet Safety and Security - will outline how governments, tech companies, and civil society must work together to design AI systems that prioritise the protection of our most vulnerable. Child safety cannot be an afterthought in the rapid evolution of AI- it must be the real foundation of progress.