Tech This Out!

Is AI harder to govern than other technologies?

From the classroom to government services, artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how children learn, play, and grow but who gets to decide how? In this final episode of our AI trilogy, 5Rights Youth Ambassador Skye interviews UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill to explore the urgent need for global AI governance that puts children’s rights first. Together, they unpack why most national AI strategies barely consider children’s rights and needs, how tech companies can be held accountable across borders and why the voices of children from the Global South must be central to shaping AI’s future. Discover what it really takes to ensure AI serves all children and not just the privileged few. 
This podcast is brought to you by the 5Rights Foundation, the only global organisation working with and for children for better tech. Visit our website to learn more about our work: https://5rightsfoundation.com/ 

Smart tool or subtle manipulation? Unpacking AI’s impact on children

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses issues of mental health and loneliness. If you are affected by any of these issues, please seek support from a trusted adult or licensed professional. Here is a list of child-friendly helplines: https://childhelplineinternational.org/helplines/ 
From homework helper to creative companion, AI is already woven into young people's daily lives in ways we're only beginning to understand. But as this powerful technology becomes invisible and everywhere, what does it mean for how children learn, create, and connect? In this month's episode, 5Rights Youth Ambassador Aisling sits down with Dr. Jun Zhao from Oxford University's Child-Centred AI Design Lab to explore both the promise and the pitfalls of growing up with artificial intelligence. Together, they examine the concerning risks of over-reliance, manipulation, and surveillance that children face in our data-driven world—while also exploring how AI can spark creativity and support learning when used thoughtfully. 
This podcast is brought to you by the 5Rights Foundation, the only global organisation working with and for children for better tech. Visit our website to learn more about our work: https://5rightsfoundation.com/ 

Not a friend, not a therapist: the limits of AI chatbots

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses issues of mental health, loneliness and eating disorders. If you are affected by any of these issues, please seek support from a trusted adult or licensed professional. Here is a list of child-friendly helplines: https://childhelplineinternational.org/helplines/  
AI chatbots promise 24/7 support without judgement – but can they ever truly replace a friend or a therapist? In this month’s episode, 5Rights Youth Ambassador, Ali, sits down with Mie Oehlenschläger - a member of the Danish Council on Ethics and President of 5Rights - EU – to unpack the design and data choices behind AI chatbots. Together, they explore why chatbots feel so real, the hidden risks on children’s mental health and privacy, and practical questions young people can ask themselves before interacting with a chatbot. 
This podcast is brought to you by the 5Rights Foundation, the only global organisation working with and for children for better tech. Visit our website to learn more: 5rightsfoundation.com 

Who's watching? How surveillance capitalism threatens children – and democracy (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Prof. Shoshana Zuboff, 5Rights Youth Ambassador Srishti explores the deeper dangers of surveillance capitalism. From the loss of privacy to growing threats to democracy, we unpack how children and young people are caught in a system designed to track, manipulate and control. 
What’s the way forward? Tune in for advice on reclaiming agency in the digital world. 
This podcast is brought to you by the 5Rights Foundation, the only global organisation working with and for children for better tech. Visit our website to learn more: 5rightsfoundation.com 

Who's watching? How tech companies profit from children’s data (Part 1)

Every click, search, and scroll—who’s tracking it, and why? In this episode, 5Rights Youth Ambassador Srishti speaks with Prof. Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, to uncover how tech companies like Google and Meta harvest young people’s data, manipulate our behaviour, and turn childhood into a marketplace. 
This is Part 1 of Srishti’s conversation with Prof. Zuboff — stay tuned for more in the next episode. 
 
This podcast is brought to you by the 5Rights Foundation, the only global organisation working with and for children for better tech. Visit our website to learn more about our work: 5rightsfoundation.com