Google's Former 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 calling for a slowdown in AI development due to concerns over its potential harm to children. He warns that the tech industry is repeating the mistakes of the social media era and may cause even greater harm to young users.

Siegel has joined Common Sense Media, a non-profit children's advocacy group, as the executive director of the Youth AI Safety Institute. This organization aims to assess kids' AI use and develop standards for holding AI firms accountable. Siegel believes that major AI companies are rolling out features to children without establishing sufficient guardrails.

He points to risks ranging from suicide and psychosis to cognitive offloading, where relying on AI can decrease critical thinking. To mitigate these risks, Siegel suggests enforcing more robust age verification measures and implementing options for users to turn off AI features.