C-suite

C-suite and corporate decision-makers’ checklist

Actionable frameworks and real-world guidance to help companies design innovative and responsible AI for children and youth.

The C-suite is responsible for setting the culture around responsible AI and strategy for and investment in AI products. The checklist is designed to help executives learn more about the benefits and risks of AI for children and youth so you can better lead, innovate and grow. By using these guidelines, you can lead as a trusted company that delights your child users.

Executive leaders should create a culture of responsibility backed by resources that enable responsible AI from design to end-of-product use and beyond. These steps are recommended:

1. Know the legal duties and regulatory constraints:
Leverage existing guidance, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Code of Ethics, UNICEF’s Policy Guidance on AI for Children and World Economic Forum guidance, as well as the guidance contained in this toolkit and guidelines for the product team, AI labelling system, and resources for parents and guardians and children and youth. Commit to internal and, if possible, external AI oversight. Report compliance and leadership measures publicly and in simple language so buyers can understand.

2. Build a diverse and capable team:
Include ethicists, researchers, privacy specialists, educators, child development experts, psychologists, user-experience (UX) designers, and data scientists. Collaborate with non-profit organizations and educational and research institutions for more expertise.

3. Train your team and provide resources for success with this checklist:
Educate team members about the importance of responsible and trustworthy AI and provide them access to the skills, tools, and time they need to execute your vision. Have open dialogue about unintended consequences, possible worst-case scenarios, and the reasons for ensuring your teams are considering the five AI characteristics critical to putting children and youth FIRST. For more information, refer to the product team guidelines, which offer detailed guidance on the five areas.

4. Offer expertise to inform the development of regulations, standards, and guidance:
Contribute to public forums on how AI is being used in your products or services. Share your experience in proposing guidance and requirements.

5. Welcome principled efforts to label products and services:
These should be done according to the potential impact of AI on users. Endorse and participate in activities to develop labelling and rating standards. Label your offerings to help consumers make informed choices based on recommendations about, for example, user age, accessibility factors, and whether a camera and microphone are being used. For additional information about labelling recommendations, see the AI labelling system.