German bishops join push for child-friendly AI

The German Bishops’ Conference has joined “KI kindgerecht!” (“Child-friendly AI!”), an initiative seeking to make AI safe and suitable for children. Germany’s biggest Protestant body and an association of children’s websites are also involved. The bishops cited Pope Leo XIV’s call to defend human dignity as technology becomes embedded in everyday digital applications.

The Church in Germany is working with academics, educators, and interested providers on a code of conduct for child-friendly interactive AI. It rests on five principles: safety by design, respect for children’s rights, age-appropriate spaces for participation, data protection, and human review. The bishops want providers obliged to meet child-friendly standards, alongside lasting investment in media education for children, parents, and teachers.

Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, chair of the bishops’ media commission, said responsibility must not fall on parents alone and that technology should serve people rather than purely economic interests. The initiative comes amid wider Vatican scrutiny of digital risks to minors. Pope Leo XIV has warned against children treating chatbots as best friends or unquestionable sources of knowledge, and has highlighted manipulation, grooming, blackmail, and sexual exploitation enabled or intensified by AI tools.