This study explored how children displaced from Ukraine to Poland and Slovakia use, understand and feel about artificial intelligence (AI), and what risks and gaps in protection they experience. This was done through focus group discussions with 27 children and young people (aged 14–21) and 14 stakeholders.
The study found that children displaced from Ukraine in Poland and Slovakia are frequent and confident users of AI and primarily use it for education, creative purposes and entertainment. A notable pattern among this group is the use of AI for emotional support and companionship, a finding that stakeholders linked to the particular vulnerabilities of displaced children, who may have fewer trusted adults and friends to turn to. While children generally demonstrated a sound practical understanding of how AI works, including its limitations, stakeholders worried that they cannot predict the longer-term consequences of its use.
Kids in Need of Defense in Europe & Terre des Hommes Netherlands. (2026). How Children Displaced from
Ukraine Use and View AI. Brussels: Kids in Need of Defense Europe.
