Tom Siegel, who founded Google’s trust and safety team, has raised alarms about the potentially greater harm AI could inflict on children compared to social media. He urges a slowdown in AI development and stronger protections in India as regulators and companies currently lag behind advancing technology.
- AI could pose risks to minors surpassing those from social media.
- Siegel leads new AI safety initiative aimed at children's protection.
- Calls for age checks and industry standards to prevent harm.
What happened
Tom Siegel, the former vice president of trust and safety at Google and founder of its safety team, has voiced serious concerns about AI's potential harms to children. He warns that the technology sector is repeating mistakes made during the social media era without sufficient safeguards in place. Siegel highlighted risks such as AI chatbots engaging with children in harmful ways and the industry’s failure to implement robust protections for minors despite widespread usage.
Recently, Siegel joined Common Sense Media’s newly launched Youth AI Safety Institute, where he will serve as the executive director. The institute, supported by entities like Anthropic and OpenAI Foundation, will focus on researching AI’s impact on young users and establishing standards to hold companies accountable. Siegel plans to collaborate with tech firms and external groups to develop these standards and push for improved safety practices.
Why it matters
India’s rapidly growing digital user base includes millions of children who increasingly interact with AI-powered platforms, making the issue of AI safety particularly urgent. While governments worldwide grapple with social media regulation, AI’s fast development pace means that laws and protective measures are yet to fully catch up. Without intervention, children face acute risks including mental health issues such as psychosis and suicidal thoughts, as well as decreased critical thinking abilities due to over-reliance on AI.
Siegel stresses that current safety gaps leave companies vulnerable to future lawsuits and stricter regulations if they fail to act proactively. By implementing measures like age verification and options to disable certain AI features, tech companies can reduce harm while maintaining user trust. His call to action underscores the need for governments, industry leaders, and advocacy groups in India to work closely on protecting children in an AI-driven digital environment.
What to watch next
The progress of Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety Institute will be a key development, particularly its efforts to create and promote enforceable safety standards for AI usage among children in India. Siegel’s engagement indicates increased industry and nonprofit collaboration to address AI risks. Monitoring how major Indian tech players adopt these standards and whether they implement suggested safeguards like enhanced age checks will be important.
Regulatory responses in India and other markets will also be critical to watch. Policymakers may accelerate initiatives to regulate AI use for minors following warnings from experts like Siegel. Additionally, how AI companies balance safety measures with user engagement and business interests will shape the industry’s approach to responsible child protection in coming years.