Brands now reach children and teens through synthetic influencers and AI-enabled brand characters that talk back. But a persona that responds to a child can imply experiences it never had, make claims no one reviewed, exert influence no script anticipated, and produce content inconsistent with brand standards — all outside the approval chain that governs conventional advertising.

This panel will identify the legal and brand safety challenges companies face when an AI persona speaks for the brand. Panelists will include a former regulator now in private practice, an expert in AI guardrails, and a brand representative. They will address emerging disclosure laws, the strain these technologies place on traditional advertising principles, the practices most likely to attract regulatory scrutiny, and practical safeguards like design limits, testing, vendor oversight, monitoring, and incident response. Attention will be given to how children and teens understand and respond to AI personas—and when disclosure alone may not adequately address the risk. Attendees will leave with insights into the issues to be considered around deployment and what safeguards may look like when disclosure is not enough.