Talk on Chatbot Design Principles | MIT Media Lab
Presentation to MIT Media Lab Advancing Humans (AHA) Network | Designing AI to Help Children Flourish | September 4, 2025
Source: media.mit.edu/events/aha-speaker-series-ron-ivey
Presentation Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) innovation offers numerous benefits, yet its rapid development also presents significant risks, particularly for children and youth.
AI chatbots, powered by large language models (LLMs), are becoming increasingly integrated into daily life, with platforms such as ChatGPT and Character.AI attracting hundreds of millions of users, including minors. While AI chatbots can provide mental health support and enhance communication skills, they also pose serious risks, including social isolation, exposure to child abuse, and even suicide. Given the global decline in youth mental health and the documented impact of technology (e.g., social media) on youth well-being, this issue demands urgent attention. Current AI governance frameworks often overlook the developmental needs and rights of children, failing to ensure that AI technologies foster human flourishing rather than cause harm.
This presentation argues that AI companies have both an opportunity and a responsibility to prioritize youth well-being by designing chatbots that enhance, rather than replace, human relationships.
To address these risks, we propose creating a Global Task Force on AI and Child Well-Being, led by the B20 (Business 20) of the G20 nations, to develop innovative standards for AI chatbot design and deployment.
This initiative requires a collaborative, multi-sector approach to:
1. Developing an AI design paradigm that promotes children’s social and relational development
2. Codifying this design paradigm into international technical standards and
3. Demonstrating its implementation through independent third-party testing.
This presentation presents a roadmap for AI innovation that prioritizes child and youth well-being.
Ivey, Ronald; Teubner, Jonathan; Fast, Nathanael; Iyer, Ravi. Designing AI to Help Children Flourish: A Global Task Force to Ensure Chatbots Support Youth Well-being. Global Solutions Journal, Issue 11 (2025): 12–23.
Ivey, R., Teubner, J., Fast, N., & Iyer, R. (2025). Designing AI to Help Children Flourish: A Global Task Force to Ensure Chatbots Support Youth Well-being. Global Solutions Journal, 11, 12–23.
Ivey, R., Teubner, J., Fast, N., & Iyer, R. (2025). Designing AI to Help Children Flourish: A Global Task Force to Ensure Chatbots Support Youth Well-being. Global Solutions Journal, 11, 12–23.
