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Reverse AI

Through this project, we will empower children to expose AI risks and shape safer digital futures. With Safe Online’s support, we can turn evidence into action, strengthening protection and accountability worldwide.

Sonia Livingstone, DFC Director

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping children’s digital lives worldwide. Research on its impact is still scarce, especially regarding vulnerable children in the global South.

GenAI introduces serious risks which are transforming the nature of technology-facilitated CSEA – including generating sexualised or abusive content, encouraging exploitative behaviours or dependency, enabling deceptive interactions, facilitating victim manipulation and control, and exposing children to privacy, safety, discriminatory and informational risks.

Reverse AI is funded by Safe Online as part of finding solutions to tackle the growing threat of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project will look at children in Brazil, India, Kenya, Philippines, Thailand and the UK.

Objectives

Through interviews and workshops with children, engagement with a 5Rights' Global Youth Ambassadors, as well as expert interviews, the project pursues three interconnected objectives:

  1. Identify risks: Examine how GenAI contributes to emerging risks of TF-CSEA and children’s mental health, with particular attention to vulnerable children in the Global South.
  2. Develop tools: Co-develop innovative, advocacy-driven methodological tools to uncover and document harmful design features in GenAI-embedded products used by children globally.
  3. Build capacity: Create and test a practical capacity-building model highlighting the impacts of GenAI design on children’s rights and promoting safety-by-design solutions informed directly by children’s perspectives.

Partners

Digital Futures for Children centre: Professor Sonia Livingstone and Dr Mariya Stoilova

Tactical Tech: Stephanie Hankey

Mtoto News Kenya: Jennifer Kaberi

University of Hyderabad (India): Professor Usha Raman

Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (Brazil): Professor Ivelise Fortim

De La Salle University Manila (Philippines): Cheryll Ruth Soriano

Individual consultations: Dr Kruakae Pothong

Funders

Safe Online funded this project in 2026 as part of its efforts to tackle the growing threat of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Find out more about the DFC's other projects.