Briefing Note for Policymakers - The Three Non-Negotiables
The Safe AI For Children Alliance has published a concise briefing note to accompany our Version 2.0 policy proposal, Achieving the Three Non-Negotiables for Children’s AI Safety.
The briefing note is intended for policymakers, regulators, civil society organisations and others seeking a clear summary of the proposal and its immediate policy implications.
You can download the briefing note here:
The briefing explains:
- The three outcomes which should be treated as non-negotiable in AI policy.
- What the words “must never” mean within a realistic and enforceable regulatory framework.
- Why children’s safety requires action across AI development, foundation models, consumer products, deployment and access.
- How governments can act immediately while international measures addressing frontier development and arms-race pressures continue to develop.
- Why voluntary commitments, provider assurances and selective safety statistics are insufficient to establish compliance.
- Which measures governments and regulators should prioritise.
The Three Non-Negotiables
- AI systems must never create or facilitate sexualised images of children.
- AI systems must never cultivate, exploit or sustain emotional dependency in children.
- AI systems must never encourage or facilitate children to harm themselves or others.
These protections should operate as enforceable red lines. Providers should carry the burden of demonstrating adequate control before high-risk systems and capabilities are released. Where a severe risk remains uncontrolled or has not been properly assessed, regulators must be able to require redesign, restriction, delay or non-release.
The briefing also explains why product safeguards must be supported by action further upstream. Many AI applications used by children depend upon powerful general-purpose models, and open release can make dangerous capabilities much harder to contain. Strong domestic safeguards and international cooperation are therefore complementary parts of the same child-protection effort.
Each part of the framework can advance independently. Governments should introduce achievable protections now while continuing to build the international arrangements needed to address increasingly capable systems and the competitive pressures surrounding their development.
Read the full proposal
The full Version 2.0 policy proposal contains the complete five-layer framework, detailed explanations of the Non-Negotiables, worked examples, definitions, implementation principles, safeguards against safety-washing and a focused evidence base.
End of Briefing Note
Download a copy of the briefing note here:
Download a copy of the full policy framework here:
Read more background on SAIFCA and our role in the Non-Negotiables here
