At least 20 million children across 10 countries have used artificial intelligence, according to new analysis from UNICEF, with many young people adopting the technology far faster than adults.
The UN children's agency said children are outpacing adults "by adopting it at rates more than three times faster," based on data gathered from the 10 countries surveyed.
The findings show more than 2 million children or one in ten said they turn to AI "for advice on things that worry them." An estimated 13 million children reported using AI tools to support their learning and homework.
UNICEF said the rapid uptake is running ahead of efforts to regulate the technology, leaving children particularly exposed.
"Children are more exposed to AI systems — including how they are designed, their underlying business models, and how their own data is used — yet have far less power to avoid or challenge them," the agency said, adding that "most AI governance does not prioritise children."
The organisation also warned that the long-term effects of AI on young people remain largely unknown.
"Evidence about its role in cognitive development, emotional dependency, and exposure to harm is just emerging," UNICEF said. "In effect, a generation is growing up inside a global experiment."
Children themselves have expressed unease about the technology.
According to the analysis, a third of children in the surveyed countries said they were worried about AI being used "to scam and trick others, or spread misinformation," while a quarter feared having their images or videos manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes.
UNICEF said many AI systems are reaching children with inadequate protections, describing safety as "seemingly, an afterthought."
Calls for action ahead of UN dialogue
The findings were released ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance at the United Nations.
UNICEF is urging governments, the private sector and other partners to embed children's rights, particularly the right to safety and protection, into global AI governance.
The agency's recommendations include investing in research into AI's effects on children's development and well-being, especially the risks.
UNICEF described the current period as "a decisive moment," saying that "the choices made about AI now will shape children's safety, privacy, well-being, and their equal access to opportunities for decades to come."
