OpenAI has pledged $2 million to support a global research initiative examining how artificial intelligence affects children, including the potential risks and opportunities AI technologies create for their safety, wellbeing and development. The commitment was announced on November 12, 2026, following the company’s participation in the Paris Peace Forum, where it signed the Charter of Engagement for Safer AI for Children.
The funding will support the scientific research network established under the Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI. The initiative aims to develop tools and shared measurement standards that researchers can use to evaluate how AI systems influence young people. OpenAI says the research will help inform safer product development and public policy, with independent researchers retaining control over their findings, including negative or inconclusive results.
OpenAI Commits $2 Million to Children’s AI Safety Research
OpenAI announced the $2 million commitment as part of a wider international effort to improve protections for children using artificial intelligence.
The contribution will support research activities coordinated through the Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI.
Rather than funding a specific consumer product or an individual AI safety feature, the money is intended to strengthen the scientific understanding of how AI interacts with children’s development.
The research programme will focus on developing shared measurement tools that allow researchers to evaluate both the benefits and risks of AI systems.
These tools could help answer questions about how children interact with AI chatbots, how AI-generated information affects learning and development, and what safeguards are necessary when young users access conversational AI products.
OpenAI said the research should provide evidence that can support better product decisions and more effective regulations.
The company has not disclosed the individual research projects that will receive funding, the names of grant recipients or a detailed payment schedule.
What Is the Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI?
The coalition is an international initiative focused on protecting children’s rights and wellbeing as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life.
It brings together governments, researchers, civil society organisations, technology companies and other institutions.
The initiative aims to establish a shared understanding of how AI affects children and develop practical safeguards that can be applied across different countries and technology platforms.
Its research network is intended to connect existing academic institutions, research centres, AI safety organisations and other independent experts.
The coalition also seeks to establish common ways of measuring AI-related risks and opportunities so that findings from different research projects can be compared.
This is important because AI products are evolving quickly, while scientific evidence about their long-term effects on children remains incomplete.
A shared research framework could help policymakers and technology companies make decisions based on measurable evidence rather than relying exclusively on individual company assessments.
OpenAI Signs Charter for Safer AI for Children
Alongside its financial commitment, OpenAI signed the Charter of Engagement for Safer AI for Children at the Paris Peace Forum.
The charter establishes principles for developing and deploying AI systems that are appropriate for children and young people.
It focuses on making child safety part of technology development rather than treating it as an issue to address only after a product has been released.
The framework encourages participating organisations to consider several areas:
- Age-appropriate safeguards: AI products should include protections suited to children’s ages and developmental needs.
- Privacy and data protection: Systems should protect children’s personal information and respect their rights.
- Risk assessment: Companies should regularly evaluate potential risks and introduce measures to reduce them.
- Parental tools: Parents and guardians should have appropriate tools to help manage children’s interactions with AI.
- Accountability: Technology providers should take responsibility for the safety of products used by young people.
- AI literacy: Children should receive age-appropriate education to understand how AI works, its limitations and its potential risks.
The charter also addresses the misuse of AI for child sexual abuse and exploitation, including the generation or distribution of harmful material.
Its broader objective is to encourage companies to build safety into AI systems from the beginning.
Research Independence Is a Key Part of the Initiative
One of the important provisions in the research programme concerns scientific independence.
Industry-funded research can raise questions about whether companies providing financial support have influence over the findings.
OpenAI says the coalition’s framework includes safeguards intended to protect research independence.
Research teams will retain control over their conclusions, and findings will be published even when results are negative or inconclusive.
The charter also describes an independent Scientific Committee intended to guide the research network and support the credibility of its work.
This is particularly important because the research could examine risks associated with AI products developed by companies participating in the initiative.
For the programme to produce useful evidence, researchers must be able to publish findings that identify shortcomings or potential harms without pressure to produce favourable conclusions.
The effectiveness of these safeguards will ultimately depend on how the coalition implements its governance, funding and publication arrangements.
Why Children’s AI Safety Is Becoming a Global Concern
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by children for education, entertainment, creative activities and information searches.
AI chatbots can explain difficult subjects, help students practise languages, support writing and provide interactive learning experiences.
However, conversational AI introduces risks that differ from those associated with traditional websites and search engines.
Children may interact with AI systems that generate responses in a conversational style, potentially making the technology appear more authoritative or human-like than it actually is.
Several concerns have attracted attention from researchers and policymakers:
Exposure to inappropriate information: AI systems may generate responses that are unsuitable for younger users if safeguards fail.
Emotional dependence: Some children may develop unhealthy patterns of reliance on conversational systems that simulate personal relationships.
Misinformation: AI-generated answers can contain inaccurate information, creating challenges for children who may not have the experience to evaluate it critically.
Privacy risks: Children may disclose personal information during conversations without fully understanding how that information could be processed.
Developmental effects: Researchers still need more evidence about how frequent interactions with AI systems may influence learning, social development and decision-making.
These concerns do not mean that AI is inherently harmful to children. The technology can also provide educational opportunities and improve access to information. The challenge is understanding how to maximise those benefits while reducing potential risks.
Paris Peace Forum Announces Wider €8 Million Research Commitment
OpenAI’s $2 million pledge forms part of a broader international funding effort announced at the Paris Peace Forum.
The forum said participating AI developers and child-safety organisations would collectively pledge €8 million to support research and tools examining the relationship between AI and child development.
The wider initiative includes technology companies and organisations working on AI safety and children’s rights.
The forum’s announcement also highlighted the Children First Declaration, a broader commitment involving more than 50 countries, five international organisations and around 20 non-governmental organisations, philanthropic institutions and businesses.
The declaration covers five major areas:
| Priority area | Main objective |
|---|---|
| Health | Improve children’s physical health and access to essential services |
| Nutrition | Strengthen food security and nutritional support |
| Education | Expand access to quality education and learning opportunities |
| Protection | Safeguard children from abuse, exploitation and other threats |
| Psychosocial wellbeing in the digital age | Support safe digital environments and healthy development |
The participating organisations aim to make progress towards these priorities by 2045.
The €8 million figure represents the collective pledge announced by the forum, while OpenAI separately disclosed its $2 million contribution. These figures should not be treated as separate funding pools to be added together.
OpenAI Supports Stronger Youth AI Safety Regulations
OpenAI says research funding should be accompanied by stronger legal protections for children using AI products.
The company supports comprehensive youth AI safety legislation that includes safeguards by default, parental tools, regular risk assessments and meaningful accountability.
It has also expressed interest in engaging with European policymakers as the proposed EU Kids Act develops.
The company’s position is that regulations should protect children while preserving access to useful AI tools for learning, creativity and other opportunities.
This approach reflects a broader policy discussion about how governments should regulate AI products used by minors.
Some policymakers are calling for stricter restrictions, while others are focusing on age-appropriate design, transparency and parental oversight.
The research supported by the coalition could help provide evidence for these discussions, although the final regulatory decisions will remain with governments and lawmakers.
The Bigger Picture
OpenAI’s $2 million pledge highlights the growing importance of child safety in the global AI industry. As conversational AI becomes more accessible to younger users, researchers need better evidence about its effects on learning, privacy, emotional wellbeing and development. The coalition’s focus on shared measurement tools could help establish a more consistent scientific foundation for evaluating these issues.
However, funding research is only one part of the challenge. The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on research independence, transparency, participation from diverse regions and whether governments and technology companies translate the findings into practical safeguards. The involvement of industry makes independent oversight particularly important because the research may examine products developed by the same companies supporting the programme.
Looking Ahead
The Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI will work towards building its research network and developing tools to measure the risks and opportunities AI creates for children. OpenAI’s contribution will support this work, while the company has committed to allowing research teams to control their conclusions and publish negative or inconclusive results. The next important milestones will involve establishing research priorities, identifying participating teams and making findings available to policymakers and the public.
For the AI industry, the initiative reflects a growing expectation that child safety must become a central part of product development. As governments consider stronger protections and AI companies expand their products, the ability to demonstrate that systems are safe and age-appropriate will become increasingly important. The long-term success of the programme will depend on whether its research produces measurable improvements in children’s safety while preserving the educational and creative benefits of artificial intelligence.
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