Arm and UNICEF have launched AI in Play, a global initiative aimed at expanding access to artificial intelligence and supporting the development of AI-powered solutions for children and communities in emerging economies.
Co-designed by UNICEF and Arm, the initiative brings together technology companies, entrepreneurs, governments, young people and communities to develop practical AI solutions across education, healthcare and climate resilience. Arm has been named the founding partner of the programme, which is also open to participation from other technology companies.
AI in Play aims to reach at least 2.5 million children and communities across 12 countries by 2030, support at least 20 AI-powered ventures and provide foundational AI literacy skills to 200,000 young people. UNICEF has specified that the literacy target will focus on children aged 10 to 16, including 100,000 girls.
The programme will focus on developing AI solutions addressing challenges in health, education and climate, while supporting innovators from emerging economies. It will also provide participating builders with mentorship, technology tools and access to relevant networks, alongside efforts to mobilise investment for moving AI projects from pilot stages to wider deployment.
AI in Play builds on a decade-long partnership between Arm and UNICEF that has reached more than 770,000 children across emerging economies. Existing initiatives include AI-enabled air-quality monitoring in schools in Lao People's Democratic Republic, Bookbot, a virtual reading assistant supporting children in Colombia, and Tinkering with Tech, an initiative focused on developing AI literacy.
The programme will also focus on edge AI, where artificial intelligence workloads are processed directly on devices instead of continuously relying on cloud infrastructure. The approach can make AI applications more accessible in areas where internet connectivity, infrastructure and cost remain constraints.
Another area covered by the initiative is natural language processing in West and Central Africa, where local innovators are working to improve AI models for languages that have historically had limited representation in digital datasets. UNICEF said work involving Bambara reduced word error rates from 42% to 22% as of April 2026.
Charlotte Eaton, Chief People Officer at Arm, said the technology industry has a shared responsibility to ensure the benefits of AI reach a wider population. She added that Arm's technology footprint and UNICEF's access to communities could help diverse innovators develop AI solutions while equipping younger generations with relevant skills.
UNICEF and Arm are also inviting other technology companies to participate in the ecosystem by contributing engineering expertise, AI tools, infrastructure, mentoring and investment.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to expand participation in AI development beyond established technology hubs, while placing responsible development, local requirements and AI literacy at the centre of deployment for children and young people.
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