AI Ethics for Children Must Begin in the Classroom

The classroom must be a place where children learn that important decisions must not simply be handed over to algorithms.

Jakarta (ANTARA) — The 42nd National Children’s Day on 23 July 2026 carries the theme ‘Cherish Children, Protect and Build the Future’.

This theme becomes increasingly relevant as Artificial Intelligence (AI) begins to play a role in children’s development, helping them with assignments, translating texts, creating images, preparing presentations, and even serving as a conversation partner.

If AI is shaping the way children learn and understand the world, its ethical education cannot wait until they become adults. AI ethics must begin in the classroom as early as possible.

Indonesia has more than 80 million children. A UNICEF evaluation published in 2026 shows that 99.4 per cent of children in its baseline study use the internet, averaging 5.4 hours a day. However, only 37.5 per cent have ever received information about online safety.

These figures are findings from a research sample, not a national estimate. Even so, the gap between the intensity of usage and readiness to face digital risks appears very wide.

Schools, therefore, must not merely teach how to use AI. Children need to understand why machines can produce incorrect, biased, or discriminatory answers. They must also be taught what data is collected, and who is responsible when its use causes harm.

The urgency has grown since Coding and Artificial Intelligence began to be implemented as an optional subject from the 2025/2026 school year. This policy is a strategic step. However, AI education must not be reduced to the ability to write code and create prompts.

Without ethics, technical competence could actually increase children’s capacity to produce deepfakes, commit plagiarism, spread false information, or process other people’s data without consent.

Incomplete literacy