Google Safety Chief Warns AI Could Harm Children More Than Social Media

Tom Siegel, former vice president of trust and safety at Alphabet's Google, is sounding the alarm about AI's impact on children. He claims that the tech industry is repeating the same mistakes from the social media era, potentially causing even greater harm to young users.

Siegel points out that social media companies are facing huge sums in lawsuits over allegations they harmed minors. Governments worldwide are also working to curb underage access to these platforms.

The concerns around AI's effects on children are mirrored by a growing fear among some tech insiders and researchers that AI poses a deeper threat than social media did, particularly with the rapid development of increasingly advanced features in chatbots used daily by millions of young people.

Siegel announced his departure from TrustLab, a startup he co-founded to help companies detect safety threats, to become the first executive director at the Youth AI Safety Institute. This organization aims to assess kids' use of AI and develop standards for holding firms accountable.