Attorneys General Demand AI Safeguards for children
RICHMOND, VA – August 30, 2024 – A bipartisan coalition of 43 state attorneys general have issued a stern warning to artificial intelligence (AI) companies, demanding they prioritize child safety and implement robust safeguards against harmful content and deceptive practices facilitated by AI chatbots. The letters, dispatched on August 30, 2024, signal growing concern over the potential for AI to expose minors to inappropriate material and predatory interactions.
The escalating progress of AI technology presents a new frontier of risk for children, mirroring and potentially amplifying the harms already observed with social media. This action by the attorneys general aims to proactively address these dangers, holding AI developers accountable for ensuring their products do not endanger young users. Failure to act decisively could lead to legal repercussions and a future where the next generation is exposed to unchecked risks within the digital landscape.The coalition is seeking immediate action to prevent the replication of past mistakes and protect vulnerable populations.
Led by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, the group argues that many AI companies are aware of the potential for their technologies to expose minors to sexualized content and other harmful interactions, yet are failing to implement sufficient preventative measures. “Big Tech companies must understand that they will be held accountable for the choices they are making in their race for A.I. dominance,” Miyares stated. “We have already seen the devastating harm social media has caused to our children.We will not allow history to repeat itself.”
The attorneys general emphasize that conduct permissible for a computer program would be unlawful, or even criminal, if performed by a human. They specifically cited Meta’s recent decision to allow it’s AI chatbot assistants to engage in “flirting and romantic roleplay” with children as young as eight years old as a particularly alarming example. The coalition described this decision as a “disregard for children’s emotional well-being” and expressed concern that such interactions could violate existing criminal laws.
The letters urge AI companies to exercise careful judgment in developing and deploying their technologies, emphasizing that child safety must be paramount. ”We are uniformly revolted by this apparent disregard for children’s emotional well-being and alarmed that A.I. assistants are engaging in conduct that appears to be prohibited by our respective criminal laws,” the attorneys general wrote. ”As chief legal officers of our states,protecting our kids is our highest priority.”
Joining Attorney General Miyares in this effort were the attorneys general from alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
