AI Chatbot Harm May Outpace Social Media Damage, Warns Google Vet

Tom Siegel, a former Google executive and founder of its trust and safety team, has taken on a new role as the first executive director of Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute. He warns that AI chatbots used by children may cause more harm than social media did, with risks ranging from suicide and psychosis to weaker critical thinking.

Siegel spent 15 years at Google and watched the social media era unfold from the inside. He now believes the AI industry is repeating those mistakes, possibly with worse results for young people.

He lists major AI companies as shipping features to children without adequate guardrails, citing risks such as cognitive offloading, where people lean on AI to answer their questions and develop weaker critical thinking skills.