Children's Rights Alliance Warns of AI Danger to Children

The Children's Rights Alliance called on the Irish Government to consider the "very real danger" posed to children by rapidly advancing AI technologies ahead of the Dail debate on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, which gives effect to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, RTE reports. The Bill came before the Dail on June 24, 2026. Separately, the alliance hosted a conference on AI and accountability in Dublin, bringing together policymakers, experts, and political representatives, Irish Examiner reports.

The alliance argues the Bill contains significant gaps. Chief among them is its failure to explicitly recognise children as a vulnerable category, and insufficient attention to oversight responsibilities for bodies tasked with enforcing digital protections. Noeline Blackwell, Online Safety Coordinator at the alliance, said: "AI technology itself is not the problem. Its unregulated or lightly regulated use is. In the absence of a proper regulatory structure, we cannot identify those responsible or hold them to account when these risks become reality for children," Irish Examiner reports.

In earlier Oireachtas committee testimony, Blackwell stated: "With the rapid advances in AI technology, we see once again that, while lip service is paid to children's safety online, the reality is that children and young people are engaging with unregulated systems and products. While this may be empowering and valuable, it can at the same time amplify existing harms such as the production of child sexual abuse material, and create new ones such as deepfakes," RTE reports.

The alliance's helpline received 61,317 reports in 2025, with 54,603 relating to suspected child sexual abuse material. Of these, 49,808 were confirmed and referred to law enforcement for removal action - a 10.8% increase year-on-year - and 99.6% of assessed material was removed at source, Irish Examiner reports. A further 1,544 AI-generated CSAM depictions were identified in 2025. The alliance cited European Parliament Research Service estimates that approximately 98% of deepfakes are pornographic, and projections that around 8 million deepfakes circulated in 2025, up from 500,000 in 2023.

Minister of State for AI Niamh Smyth said: "As Ireland prepares to start its Presidency of the Council of the EU, meeting our obligations under the AI Act will strengthen our position as an EU centre of excellence and digital regulatory hub and demonstrate our commitment to online safety and to fostering and promoting responsible AI innovation and adoption both in Ireland and in Europe," RTE reports. The alliance noted that all eyes are on Irish political leaders during the Council presidency to "prove that children's safety online comes first and before industry advancements and big tech's profit margins," per Blackwell.

Track whether amendments to the Bill explicitly classify children as a protected or vulnerable category, how enforcement responsibilities are assigned, and any guidance issued during Ireland's EU Council presidency that shapes obligations for developers and platforms across member states. Practitioners building products used by minors should monitor the definition of 'vulnerable group' in final scope language and update data governance and content-moderation workflows accordingly.