Former Google safety chief urges AI slowdown to protect children

Tom Siegel, the former head of Google’s trust and safety division, cautioned that artificial-intelligence tools pose a greater risk to children than earlier social-media platforms and urged a pause in development. He highlighted potential harms ranging from suicidal ideation to reduced critical thinking, noting that current AI products are being released to minors without sufficient guardrails. Siegel announced his new role as executive director of the Youth AI Safety Institute, a research arm of Common Sense Media supported by Anthropic and the OpenAI Foundation.

He suggested concrete steps such as stronger age-verification and the ability to disable AI features in search, mirroring existing content-filter options. While Google and OpenAI claim to have parental controls and age-assessment methods, Siegel doubts they are enough without regulatory oversight. He aims to create industry-wide safety standards, though he admits cooperation from AI firms remains uncertain.