CBD 2026: Designing for Safety: AI Ethics, Children's Online Safety, and the Future of Digital Governance with Caitlin Burke, PhD, JD

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into the products and platforms children use every day, policymakers face growing challenges in balancing innovation, free expression, and user safety. This keynote examines how existing legal frameworks have struggled to address risks arising from product design decisions and emerging AI technologies. Drawing on research at the intersection of technology policy, law, and platform governance, Dr. Burke explores how digital products shape user behavior, where regulatory gaps remain, and what lessons policymakers, educators, and technology companies can apply when building safer online environments for young people. Caitlin Burke, PhD, JD, is a technology lawyer, researcher, and former product manager whose work focuses on AI governance, platform accountability, children's online safety, and technology policy. She recently earned her PhD in Communication and JD from Stanford University, where her dissertation examined the intersection of Section 230, the First Amendment, products liability law, and social media platform design. Before entering law and academia, Dr. Burke spent six years building digital products and leading cross-functional teams across technology and media organizations. She currently advises organizations on AI governance, privacy, and emerging technology regulation and writes on the legal and policy challenges presented by AI systems and online platforms. This session is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 14-25, 2026. The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.