Ex-Google safety chief warns AI could harm children more than social media did

In a recent interview, Tom Siegel, the former vice president of trust and safety at Google, warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a greater threat to children than social media did. Siegel expressed concerns that the tech industry was repeating past mistakes from the social media era and risking even more harm to young users.

Social media companies have faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny for their handling of minors, and similar concerns are emerging around AI, particularly as chatbots become increasingly advanced and widely used by children. Despite efforts to curb underage access, regulation has yet to keep pace with AI's rapid development. Siegel highlighted the potential for AI to cause severe harm, including suicide, psychosis, and cognitive offloading, where reliance on AI leads to diminished critical thinking skills.

He emphasized the need for immediate action from AI companies, such as implementing robust age verification measures and disabling AI features for underage users. Siegel recently joined Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization focused on children's online safety, as the first executive director of their Youth AI Safety Institute.

The institute, backed by companies like Anthropic and the OpenAI Foundation, aims to develop standards for holding AI firms accountable. While Siegel acknowledged the potential short-term impact on AI companies' profits, he argued that failure to act could lead to more severe consequences, including lawsuits and stricter regulation.