Ms Clare Daly:

AI-generated deepfakes are an alarming issue. A child's likeness can be used to create explicit content with just 20 images. We have seen reports of children using AI to create sexual deepfakes of peers, leading to real-world harm. These tools remain largely unregulated, and the omission of these risks from the AI Act is a missed opportunity. Other countries, like the UK and Australia, have started addressing this. The UK has announced proposals to ban the creation or distribution of AI tools for generating child sexual abuse material and Australia is moving to ban so-called nudify apps that manipulate images of minors. We urge this committee to consider similar legislation for Ireland.

In terms of AI-powered chatbots, AI chatbots are becoming more prevalent, with a growing number of children using them for homework help or social interaction. According to our latest report, over a quarter of primary school children and a third of 12- to 15-year-olds are using chatbots. These chatbots are often designed to feel human - empathetic, warm, and engaging - increasing the risk of children, particularly more vulnerable children, becoming emotionally attached. Recent cases taken by the families of children who have tragically taken their own lives, such as Raine v.OpenAI and Garcia v.Character.AI, highlight how children can be encouraged toward self-harm or suicide by interacting with these bots and, in the Raine case, discouraged from seeking help. While these cases are still under legal scrutiny, they underline the urgent need for safeguards, built in at the earliest stages rather than added as an afterthought. Unlike physical toys, which must pass rigorous safety and compliance checks, AI technologies remain largely unregulated and untested. Children are effectively canaries in the digital coalmine. In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner has introduced regulations requiring tech companies to implement age assurance and safety measures for chatbots under their Online Safety Act. California is likely to follow suit, and we urge Ireland to consider similar legislative measures.

Child rights, including the right to be protected from harm, must be a priority in technology design, policy and legislation. We need stronger regulation to hold tech companies accountable and ensure AI systems are safe for children. We call on the committee to support legislative safeguards that would address these urgent concerns. I thank the committee for its attention to this critical issue.