Global Non-Negotiables Campaign FAQs & Further Details
Thank you for supporting SAIFCA's global Non-Negotiables campaign.
This page answers some frequently asked questions about the campaign, and provides some further details about who is involved and our plans to scale.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is The Safe AI for Children Alliance ‘anti-AI’?
A: No. In addition to our priority of protecting children from the risks of AI, we acknowledge the many positive uses and potential of AI; we aim to help prepare children to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Q: Why are you asking people to write letters rather than sign a petition?
A: Because we want to focus on the action that will change policy.
MPs and representatives pay close attention to letters from their own constituents. These letters show up in their correspondence tracking, often require responses, and signal that voters in their district feel strongly enough about an issue to take time writing about it.
Petitions are easier to sign, which is both their strength and their limitation. They demonstrate broad awareness, but they don't create the same direct pressure on individual decision-makers. A thousand petition signatures might be noted, but a hundred letters from actual constituents to their MPs creates real political pressure.
With limited capacity, we're choosing to focus entirely on the tactic that research and practitioner experience shows is most effective for creating legislative change: direct constituent communication.
When this campaign gains significant traction and we secure additional resources, we may add an open letter, later followed by a petition as a secondary way for people to show support. For now, we're asking everyone to take the single most impactful action available: write to your representative.
Q: Won't this end up banning AI from schools?
A: No. Educational AI tools with appropriate safeguards can continue to be used. Non-Negotiable 3 requires that AI systems not encourage harm - properly designed educational AI already meets this standard, and this campaign ensures all AI accessible to children is held to the same safety level.This makes protections legally required across all AI systems children might access.
Q: Has there been a full consultation process for this campaign?
A: The Safe AI for Children Alliance has consulted with experts in the field of AI governance, AI ethics, child safety, and our internal advisors prior to the release of this campaign. We have taken the decision to avoid a longer and more wide-scale consultation process based on a cost/benefit approach. Children are being harmed every day in the ways we have outlined, and we feel urgent action is required. For similar reasons, we may adjust and iterate the campaign very slightly as we move forward - for example if a new AI tool becomes available that we feel should be highlighted within our explanations of harms to children.
Q: How do you define "emotional dependency"?
A: The detailed regulations will specify prohibited design features in consultation with child psychologists. But the principle is clear: if an AI system is deliberately designed to maximise a child's emotional investment through features like simulated romantic feelings, jealousy responses, or unlimited availability designed to replace human relationships, it violates this non-negotiable.
Q: Can this actually be enforced internationally?
A: Yes. International cooperation on child safety is already well-established (INTERPOL, Internet Watch Foundation, etc.). The mechanisms exist. Additionally, when major jurisdictions (UK, EU, US states) establish requirements, they often create de facto global standards - companies typically apply them worldwide rather than maintaining separate systems.
Q: Won't companies just ignore this?
A: Not with meaningful penalties. Fines proportionate to global revenue (like with GDPR) make compliance essential. App store requirements, payment processor restrictions, and ISP-level blocking provide multiple enforcement mechanisms.
Q: Aren't there more important AI risks to worry about?
A: These non-negotiables address harms happening to children right now. They also build the regulatory infrastructure needed for broader AI governance - capability assessment, pre-deployment testing, international coordination, company liability. Protecting children and building comprehensive AI regulation aren't competing priorities - they're complementary.
Q: How soon could this be implemented?
A: The technology exists today. With political will, major AI companies could implement these protections quickly. Legislative timelines vary, but child safety commands bipartisan support and strong public backing - this can move faster than most policy changes.
Further Information
Who’s Involved
The Non-Negotialbes campaign is led by The Safe AI for Children Alliance (SAIFCA).
If we have capacity to officially partner with other organisations as the campaign evolves, within the campaign structure, we will consider doing that.
Organisations are welcome to publicly endorse the campaign on their own websites, without implying partnership; we will soon be launching an affiliate initiative so that we can collaborate with other aligned organisations.
We will list supporting organisations on the main campaign webpage if we have capacity.
SAIFCA will reach out to schools and youth organisations to let them know about the campaign and to encourage them to reach out to their political representatives in writing. They may also like to engage local press.
We may include high-profile supporters on the campaign page.
Roll-Out (initial plans)
Phase One: Immediate - urgent campaign launch, will necessarily be basic. The information will be presented clearly on the SAIFCA website, the template letters to political representatives will be available to copy and paste.
All SAIFCA Advocates will be asked to take part and to share the initiative with their networks and organisations - this will be the first time Advocates have been asked to ‘mobilise’ on behalf of the organisation.
Phase Two: Campaign materials are refined and small elements of the campaign may be tightened or adjusted in minor ways. Funding actively sought. Media outreach. Consideration given as to whether the campaign becomes SAIFCA’s main focus under our year 2 strategy. Consideration to adding an ‘open-letter’ element to the campaign.
Phase Three and Beyond: Funding available to increase awareness of the campaign, bring on more high-profile signatories, and potentially develop more sophisticated resources and platforms. If we have the resources (finances, people and time), we may look to develop partnerships with aligned organisations to further the reach of the campaign.