The risks to which children and adolescents are exposed in the digital world are also a concern for policymakers. Thirty district administrators from the canton of Basel-Landschaft recently used their lunch break during a session to gain practical insight from experts into the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a major impact on how we use digital media. Children and adolescents are particularly affected by this. Given the rapid pace of change, it is not surprising that the level of awareness among the relevant agencies and lawmakers varies greatly in some cases.
It is therefore very encouraging that Cantonal Councilor Tim Hagmann, together with the Cantonal Chancellery, organized an exchange between members of the Parliament of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft and experts who, through their daily work, have insight into the current challenges posed by AI. Cantonal Secretary Elisabeth Heer led the engaging lunchtime session.
Challenges Posed by AI
In brief introductory presentations, the speakers highlighted various challenges. Severin Brunold, a teacher, explained how Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms can be addictive. Young people lose fundamental skills in reading, writing, and math when they rely on AI to do their thinking for them. In light of these dangers, Severin Brunold has launched a peer-to-peer project in which FMS students teach elementary school children how to use social media and AI responsibly.
Misinformation
Fabienne Plattner, from the Binningen Child and Youth Support Service, and Anna Bernhard, from the Canton of Basel-Landschaft’s Child and Youth Welfare Service, addressed additional risks. For example, children and adolescents often believed misinformation to be true and spread it further. Real friendships are being replaced by interactions with AI chatbots. And the easier it is to create fake images and videos (deepfakes), the greater the risk of bullying.
Deepfakes
Lukas Wunderlin, Head of the Cybercrime Division at the Basel-Landschaft Police, and Dari Khasham, Head of Cybercrime at the Basel-Landschaft Public Prosecutor’s Office, highlighted the challenges involved in dealing with AI and deepfakes. In general, AI is leading to an increase in cybercrime. Images can be manipulated, and malicious software can be deployed without any programming knowledge. At the same time, there are gaps in the legal framework. Furthermore, investigators face numerous challenges when investigating specific crimes. Many perpetrators operate anonymously, and many of the providers through which the content is distributed are based abroad, which often severely limits the disclosure of relevant information.
Lack of Resources
Beat John, Executive Director of Victim Assistance for beider Basel Cantons, pointed out the additional resources that policymakers would need to provide in light of the new challenges, particularly in the area of school social work. At the elementary school level, school social work is not mandatory in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, and there are still municipalities without school social work programs. In addition, resources are needed to teach media literacy and to develop safety plans.
It has become clear that dealing with AI poses challenges for all specialized agencies, government authorities, and indeed society as a whole. The use of AI is now irreversible. The key now is to ensure that it is used responsibly and that the risks are kept in check—though many of these risks can only be managed at the national level.
More Funding for Prevention
However, there is one area where the cantons have a responsibility: prevention. There are many areas to focus on: strengthening media literacy in everyday school life and through school social work, and developing digital safety strategies for schools, residential homes, and institutions. And especially when it comes to cybercrime, peer-to-peer programs as part of preventive police work should be expanded. Given the dangers facing children and adolescents, political majorities across party lines are needed to ensure that the necessary funds are made available.
The event clearly demonstrated that dialogue between experts and policymakers is extremely valuable. The strong interest shown by the county council members is a positive sign that we are ready to tackle the challenges that already exist today and will only intensify in the future. After all, one thing became clear during the State Council discussion: the need for action to steer the digital transformation is not something for the distant future—it is an urgent priority right now. If those in charge wait to act, the societal costs of digital violence will continue to rise.
Discover exciting insights and further articles in our blog.
The risks to which children and adolescents are exposed in the digital world are also a concern for policymakers. Thirty district administrators from the canton of Basel-Landschaft recently used their lunch break during a session to gain practical insight from experts into the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Starting in August 2025, victims of domestic violence and stalking will be able to have their smartphones checked for security vulnerabilities. In this interview, Rachid Dahjaoui of securial and Francis Fink of IT-Logix AG explain the findings from the pilot project.
How should someone respond to hate messages? What legal steps can be taken? To help those affected find answers to such questions quickly and easily, Victim Assistance for beider Basel is launching a pilot project. Jeremias Schulthess, CEO of Fairmedia, explains the goals of the counseling center for digital violence and the services it offers.
At night and at weekends, the number is operated by Dargebotene Hand beider Basel.
The Dargebotene Hand provides basic counseling and, if necessary, refers the victim to the day service for counseling.
Victim Support beider Basel is available 24/7
Tel: +41 61 205 09 10
