Never mind killer robots and sci-fi doomsday scenarios. A former Google executive says we need a slowdown in AI development now because the tech is already harming children at a scale that’s surpassing the damage wreaked by social media.
“We find ourselves in a really terrible situation in terms of what AI is doing to kids,” Tom Siegel, the former vice president of trust and safety at Google, told Reuters. “The idea that the industry will figure it out by itself without outside help is unrealistic.”
Major AI companies, Siegel says, are releasing their features without creating robust enough guardrails. On Tuesday, he announced he had joined the children’s online advocacy group Common Sense Media, serving as first executive director of its newly launched Youth AI Safety Institute. Some of the nonprofit’s backers, it’s worth noting, include Anthropic and the OpenAI Foundation.
AI companies have come under fire for their role in so-called AI psychosis, cases in which an AI incites and drives a user’s delusional behavior. Numerous lawsuits allege that an older version of ChatGPT powered by GPT-4o even drove users to suicide.
Many of these cases involve teenagers and young adults. Last year, 16-year-old Adam Raine killed himself after extensively discussing specific suicide methods with ChatGPT for months on end, his family alleged in lawsuit against OpenAI. Chat logs showed that Raine often confided his suicidal thoughts with the chatbot, and the chatbot in turn acted as a confidante, consoling him when he said he felt upset that his parents didn’t notice a rope mark from a hanging attempt. He died from a hanging technique that the AI discussed in detailed conversations with Raine.
Meanwhile, many teens are treating AI companions as friends and even romantic companions. And educators are disheartened by the cognitive offloading caused by the chatbots, as students are increasingly turning to AI chatbots to answer questions and do their homework instead of thinking through assignments. Research has linked relying on AI tools to memory loss and diminished critical thinking skills. One study found that AI leads to lower brain activity during cognitive tasks like writing an essay.
“I think we’re looking at very, very severe scenarios of harm being done,” Siegel told Reuters.
A Google spokesperson responded by boasting that Google’s AI features are actually great for minors’ cognitive development.
“Our AI Search features are an incredibly useful way for kids and teens to learn, explore and make sense of information and the world,” the spokesperson told Reuters.
An OpenAI spokesperson affected more concern, explaining that the company uses “account and behavioral signals” and self-reported ages to detect underage user. “While no single age-assurance method is perfect, we continuously test and improve these systems, including against attempts to bypass safeguards,” they added.
More on AI: MIT Report Finds That AI Is Leading to “Cognitive Surrender” Among Students
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