Tecnologia, minori e diritti umani - Parla un'esperta [Francesca Braga]

Francesca Braga, an attorney specializing in international law and human rights, engages in a nuanced discussion about technology's role in society, particularly regarding minors and artificial intelligence. She challenges the notion that 'technology is neutral,' demonstrating through examples from Southeast Asia how technology platforms like Protectu (for domestic violence victims) and Get Equal (for LGBTIQ+ employment) have protected vulnerable populations by providing access to information and opportunities previously denied to them. However, she equally emphasizes the dangers: social media addiction releases dopamine and creates genuine dependency comparable to substance abuse, sleep disruption from screen exposure correlates with increased micro-crimes among adolescents, and algorithmic design is deliberately engineered to maximize engagement regardless of user welfare.

On the question of banning social media for minors, Braga presents a complex position. While acknowledging legitimate concerns about addiction and mental health (citing a recent case of a girl seeking psychological advice from ChatGPT instead of qualified professionals), she warns that sudden prohibition could trigger withdrawal symptoms in already-addicted users and that age-based bans are easily circumvented—as demonstrated when the European Commission's age verification app was broken on its first day. She contrasts this with Estonia's counter-proposal, which focuses not on age restrictions but on regulating the algorithms themselves, arguing the problem lies in platform mechanics rather than user age.

Instead of bans, Braga advocates for a pyramid-based governance model requiring concerted effort across four levels: families as the foundation, schools as institutional partners, government institutions providing regulation, and platform developers implementing technical safeguards. Critically, she emphasizes that teachers themselves lack training on these technologies, leading to inconsistent implementation across regions—a rural school might provide better instruction than an urban one depending on individual teacher preparation. She proposes clear, implementable rules rather than vague regulations open to broad interpretation, with specific technical measures like content filters for mental health-related queries and conversation history deletion after set periods.

Braga also addresses broader societal shifts: reduced attention spans due to fragmented media consumption (short-form videos, multitasking), the loss of deep conversation skills as people avoid difficult topics requiring emotional investment, and the flattening of uniqueness as AI tools produce homogenized outputs. She notes that perception of crime rates often differs from reality due to media amplification, but in this case, crimes by minors have genuinely increased alongside social media adoption.

Regarding the EU AI Act, Braga acknowledges it as pioneering regulation across 27 member states but criticizes inadequate professional training on its implementation and the likelihood it's already outdated given AI's rapid evolution. She emphasizes that regulatory frameworks must adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances and that inconsistent interpretation across countries undermines effectiveness.

Throughout, Braga positions herself as an idealist believing in collaborative solutions rather than factional positions. She argues that change requires dialogue, integration of diverse perspectives, and collective action—comparing effective regulation to an orchestra where individual instruments play together rather than alone. She concludes that all stakeholders (teens, adults, educators, policymakers, developers) must work toward common goals rather than adopting adversarial stances.