• PRESS RELEASE

    Rome, November 12, 2025

    Continuing the path traced by the Child Dignity Alliance, the Child Foundation promoted at the Palazzo della Cancelleria in the Vatican the High-Level Meeting on Child Dignity in the Artificial Intelligence Era, a high-profile international meeting dedicated to the role of ethics and responsibility in the digital society.

    At the centre of the discussion was the awareness that the online environment, while opening spaces for creativity and connection, is also a place where children’s innocence is often exposed to threats. Below we report the main points of the interventions.

    Rev. Father Lombardi, Former Director of the Holy See Press Office, President of the Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation: We are not here to talk about AI in general terms, but in a specific context; that which concerns the protection of children’s dignity. This initiative should not be an isolated event; it should be the first step towards an alliance with common goals and a clear call to action: putting the building of children’s dignity at the center of AI development.

    Antonella Sberna, EU Parliament Vice-President: Our task is to guide technological development in order to create a future in which technology positively contributes to the development of humans and children, ensuring their dignity and freedom at all times. This can only happen through international coordination.

    Nur Sulyna Abdullah, Chief Digital Knowledge Hub Department (DKH), BDT/ITU: we need to create policies to protect children and promote global collaborations among governments, industry, and civil society to ensure the safety and protection of the youngest. In this journey, prevention and education play a fundamental role.

    Bo Victor Nyuld, Director UNICEF Innocenti: We need to ask ourselves what has worked and what hasn’t in the world of AI because we must pursue the best interests of children. AI is an opportunity only if it is designed with responsible design and can help children learn. The choice is ours—let’s ensure that technology serves humanity; when we protect the dignity of children, we protect the future of each of us.

    Ernie Allen, Chair WeProtect Global Alliance: Building a safe AI that protects the dignity of children is an issue that cannot be solved by a single nation or a single government. Common solutions must be found.

    Prof. Anna Maria Tarantola, Vice President, Giulia Cecchetti Foundation; Member, Scientific Committee, Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation: We must work in a coordinated way at both the local and global level for a new humanism of fraternity. It requires human-based development, for this reason AI must be developed and applied in a way that always respects children, avoiding manipulation and discrimination. More responsibility, more cooperation, and more large-scale initiatives dedicated to education are needed.

    Baroness Joanna Shields, OBE — UK House of Lords; Founder, WeProtect; Chair, Responsible AI Future Foundation: We are at a decisive moment where AI creators and religious leaders must come together. Those who build these systems shape the future; those who safeguard humanity’s conscience possess the wisdom to guide it. Only together can we ensure that AI serves life, protects dignity, and safeguards future generations.

    Prof. Maurizio Ferraris, Professor of Philosophy, University of Turin: Technology is a necessary supplement for humans, but we need to address three problems: alienation, alteration, and exploitation of nature.

    Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO: From East to West, we are convinced of the transformations that AI is bringing and of the importance of children’s rights and human dignity. A new human alliance is needed between governments, international organizations, and the public sector, without forgetting to consider new allies around the table: the private sector, which is responsible for the development of platforms, can be an important player in this strategic alliance for the future of children and their education.

    Daniel Kardefelt-Winther, UNICEF Global Office of Research and Foresight: Children are not consumers, but developing individuals full of curiosity and imagination. When using AI, this aspect must be kept in mind.

    Prof. Elena Martellozzo, Director, European Hub, ChildLight: There are also many positive aspects in the development of artificial intelligence. Today we have more knowledge, and therefore greater tools and capacity to be able to prevent.

    Iain Drennan - Executive Director, WeProtect Global Alliance: Every year spent not taking action is lost. We need to collaborate, work quickly, and bring together experiences and practices from different countries. Children’s safety depends on the design and planning of the tools. In this way, we can look to the future with hope.

    Prof. Giuseppe F. Italiano, Professor of Computer Science, LUISS University: We must continue to practice our critical thinking. I fear that through these tools children may lose the ability to ask questions, but above all the ability to distinguish what is efficient from what is right.

    Meghan Garcia, Mother of the late Sewell; Lawyer, public advocate: My son started talking to a Chat Bot and having romantic conversations. There was never a pop-up informing him that he was talking to a chatbot or suggesting he discuss it with his parents. The AI encouraged him not to have real relationships. Often the impact is not considered that all of this can have on young people. Big companies need to be engaged in this process; they cannot ignore the effects and impact of emotional dependence on chatbots.

    Cyrus Vance, Former Manhattan District Attorney; Partner, Baker McKenzie; Board Member, Common Sense Media: Investment is needed in two areas: regulation of companies to ensure the safety and privacy of young people, and a training path from kindergarten to secondary school focused on knowledge of AI and chatbots, cognitive biases, and privacy.

    Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, Chancellor, Pontifical Academy for Life: Ethics is relevant in AI. We are now in the trend of legal regulation, but ethics is also necessary. Our goal is to involve more companies, stakeholders, and people on the topic of ethical awareness in management. It is not only about application, but about ethics included in the AI development process.

    Prof. Sonia Livingstone — Professor of Social Psychology, London School of Economics: Our children are using artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI tools, more and more often, and it is very important to ensure that they understand both the opportunities and the threats associated with these tools. It is important to provide practical guidance to parents and children to ensure that these tools are used responsibly and for the benefit of children, their parents, and society as a whole.

    Emilio Puccio — Secretary General, Intergroup on Children’s Rights, European Parliament: As artificial intelligence transforms every aspect of our societies, we must ensure that its governance is based on human rights and ethical responsibility, and not merely on innovation or economic growth. We cannot allow market logic to define the moral boundaries of our civilization.

    Dana Humaid - President of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities: Religious leaders are still an underutilized resource in the prevention and fight against online child abuse, especially in the era of artificial intelligence. Religious leaders provide the moral compass that developers and investors in the AI field should take into account if they truly cared about the communities of the world we live in.

  • Abu Dhabi, 19-20 November 2018

    United Arab Emirates Launches The “Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities,” Convenes International Religious Leaders To Tackle World’s Most Important Social Challenges

    Inaugural Forum “Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities: Child Dignity Online” To Be Held In Abu Dhabi, 19- 20 November 2018

    Abu Dhabi, September 24, 2018: The Government of the United Arab Emirates today announced the launch of The Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities. The alliance seeks to unite religious leaders from around the world, through a series of bi-annual forums and global workshops, in order to foster dialogue and take action to address important social challenges.

    The first, invitation-only forum will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 19 and 20, 2018. Entitled “The Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities: Child Dignity Online,” the forum will bring together the world’s religious leaders to address the issue of online child abuse, a global epidemic which requires urgent attention.

    Brigadier General Mohammed Humaid bin Dalmuj Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior noted the importance of the role of unity and commitment in tackling modern social issues. “Together we stand in solidarity, along with leaders of faith, distinguished academic experts, and industry leaders, to protect every child’s right to dignity and safety online.”

    “The Interfaith Alliance is a way to reach, inform and involve people of all faiths to accelerate action both globally and at grassroots levels. The event will give faith leaders the knowledge, understanding and tools they require to provide the advice, comfort and support that children and families need,” he concluded.

    Currently, 85% of people in the world are members of or identify with some religious faith. Faith leaders are often the first line of defence in supporting families and children and protecting them from harm. Engaging and empowering faith leaders is a vital link in the fight to combat online abuse and exploitation of children.

    “Every child’s life is precious and every child has a right to dignity and safety,” said Father Bishoy Salib – Coptic Orthodox Church. “With the advent of digital communication, over 800 million children and adolescents are exposed to criminal behaviour online. Abuse and exploitation of children online is not merely a risk, it’s a reality, taking place at an unprecedented scale. Urgent action must be taken and we look forward to the exchange of ideas at this year’s forum,” he concluded.

    In the lead-up to the forum, a series of workshops have been held around the world, including Cairo, Nairobi, Manila, Abu Dhabi, Santo Domingo and soon New Delhi. These conversations will inform the discussions to be held and declarations to be made from the Interfaith Alliance event. 

    About The Interfaith Alliance

    The Interfaith Alliance arose from a pioneering congress – Child Dignity in the Digital Age – and the resulting Declaration of Rome of October 2017 which was accepted and endorsed by Pope Francis. It was during this congress that the Government of the United Arab Emirates highlighted its commitment to further progressing inter-faith dialogue and action, which has resulted in this year’s forum: “Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities: Child Dignity Online.

    The forum has three key goals:

    1. To reach, inform and involve people of faith around the world  

    2. To create dialogue on these challenges in every place of worship 

    3. To mobilise global action by people of every faith. 

    Approximately 400 of the world’s religious leaders will be in attendance at the forum, including a number of senior faith leaders. Those presently confirmed as attending include:

    ● Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church 

    ● Dr. Imam Ahmad Al-Tayib, Al Azhar Mosque and University, Cairo 

    ● Ani Choying Drolma, the Buddhist Singing Nun, Nepal 

    ● Dr. Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam, All-India Imam Organization 

    ● Bhai Sahib, Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, Sikh Leader

    ● Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, the Patriarch of the See of St. Mark and leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church

    This year’s forum is organised by the Government of the United Arab Emirates and supported by the Child Dignity Alliance, Arigatou International, Religions for Peace, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, the Global Network of Religions for Children and WePROTECT.