Introducing the Global Non-Negotiables for Children Policy Framework: A Blueprint for Protecting Children in the Age of AI
Today, The Safe AI for Children Alliance (SAIFCA) publishes the Global Non-Negotiables for Children Policy Framework – a comprehensive blueprint for lawmakers and regulators to implement the urgent protections children need now.
Since launching the Global Non-Negotiables for Children campaign in October, we’ve witnessed extraordinary momentum. Parents, educators, technologists, policymakers, and child safety advocates around the world have rallied behind a simple but vital proposition: there are certain lines AI systems must never cross when it comes to children.
The response has confirmed what many of us already knew – society is ready to demand real protections for children in the AI age. Now it’s time to turn that collective will into enforceable safeguards.
The Problem We’re Confronting
AI is reshaping every aspect of human life, yet children – the group least able to protect themselves – are being exposed to some of its most dangerous consequences.
AI systems that create fake sexualised images of minors. Chatbots designed to foster emotional dependency. Applications that normalise self-harm.
These harms are spreading faster than laws can respond, and children are paying the price with their safety, wellbeing, and – in tragic cases documented globally – their lives.
The legislation we currently have was not built for this moment. Policymakers across jurisdictions are grappling with how to regulate AI effectively while children continue to be harmed. What has been missing is a clear framework defining the absolute minimum protections children deserve – and a practical roadmap for implementation.
The Three Non-Negotiables
The campaign establishes three universal red lines – protections so fundamental they represent the minimum baseline of civilisation in the age of AI:
AI must never create fake sexualised images of children.
AI must never be designed to make children emotionally dependent.
AI must never encourage children to harm themselves.
These aren’t aspirational goals or best practices. They are non-negotiable protections that must be embedded in law, design, and culture immediately. Every day we delay implementation is another day children remain vulnerable to preventable harms.
What the Policy Framework Delivers
The Policy Framework translates these principles into actionable guidance. It provides legislators and regulators with the strategic architecture needed to turn the Three Non-Negotiables into enforceable protections.
It defines each non-negotiable in detail and outlines a four-layer structure addressing prevention, detection, enforcement, and accountability – ensuring protections work in practice, not just on paper.
Crucially, the Framework is jurisdiction-agnostic. Whatever part of the world you legislate in, it provides a foundation that can be adapted to your legal system while maintaining the integrity of the core protections.
The Policy Pack includes:
- The full Policy Framework
- Concise briefing materials for busy policymakers
- Supporting documentation to make implementation as practical as possible
We’ve built this resource to lower the barrier to action – because children can’t afford to wait.
A Coordinated Path Forward
The first phase of the campaign focuses on dual-track advocacy:
- Encouraging individuals and organisations worldwide to contact their political representatives in support of the Three Non-Negotiables.
- Equipping policymakers with this Framework to inform rapid policy development.
We’re not asking legislators to start from scratch. We’re providing them with a blueprint to accelerate the creation of detailed technical and legal standards. The Framework respects the complexity of AI governance while insisting on the urgency of action.
Why This Matters Now
Child protection must be a core pillar of global AI governance – not an afterthought.
We stand at a critical juncture. The decisions we make – or fail to make – in the coming months will determine whether AI becomes a force that advances human flourishing or one that sacrifices the wellbeing of those least able to consent to its consequences.
Children deserve better than reactive legislation that arrives after harm has occurred. They deserve proactive protection grounded in clear principles and backed by enforceable law.
Join Us
The Policy Framework is available now. We encourage policymakers, regulators, child safety advocates, and concerned citizens to read it, share it, and use it to drive action in your jurisdiction.
If you haven’t yet written to your political representatives about the Three Non-Negotiables, now is the time. If you work in policy, regulation, or technology governance, we invite you to engage with this framework and help refine implementation approaches for your context.
Together, we can ensure that technological progress advances human wellbeing – not at the expense of our children.
Download the full Policy Pack here:
View the webpage summary here:
Access the main campaign page here: