Macron wants AI ban wherever it threatens children

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a ban on artificial intelligence (AI) wherever it poses a risk to the mental health of children. During an interview with France’s Les Echos, he stated that "If there is a risk for children with certain uses of AI, then it must be banned." This comes as Macron pushes for a ban on certain social networks for those under 15.

The French president made these remarks on the eve of the adoption of a charter at the Paris Peace Forum, which will be presented to him by a committee of experts on Tuesday. The charter aims to protect children from the potential negative impacts of AI, including threats to their mental health and brain development. The committee will recommend measures, such as independent evaluations of generative AI systems and access to their models' data, for companies to implement before releasing their products to children.

Macron emphasized the importance of creating a framework that addresses the dangers AI can pose, categorizing these dangers into three areas: children, democratic security, and major national security issues. He also invited around 50 heads of state and government, representatives from international organizations, companies, researchers, and laboratories to a videoconference to discuss the risks AI poses to collective security.

Notable participants included the British, Canadian, Norwegian, Dutch, and Japanese prime ministers, as well as the CEOs of OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and Microsoft.