Inspired by Klara, the AI companion in Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun.
While Klara is an “Artificial Friend,” a robot companion for a child, she is used for a purpose that is not easily fulfilled by a real-world companion. Her role is well scoped. What makes her remarkable isn't her general intelligence; it's her devotion. She pays attention, questions her assumptions, respects parental guidance, and keeps the child's wellbeing at her core. She supports human connection.
That's what we want from children's digital worlds: places to explore, connect, and grow, with thoughtful protections and boundaries that ease with age.
Too often, apps prioritize keeping children engaged. Safety features are hard to find or easily bypassed, and parents are left playing police officer. Families deserve better: privacy for children, meaningful insight for parents, and tools that make safety and growing independence work together.
CLARA stands for Certification Lab for App Risk Assessment, but our name also reminds us what we're building toward. Our standards define what better looks like across social media, gaming, messaging, and AI.
We bring that same care to our own work. In partnership with researchers, developmental scientists, and child-safety experts, we question our assumptions, refine our methods, and publish what we find—so parents and children can make informed choices.