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Former Google Safety Chief Warns AI Poses Greater Harm to Children Than Social Media
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CNBC TV18•22-09-2026, 23:28
Former Google Safety Chief Warns AI Poses Greater Harm to Children Than Social Media
- •Tom Siegel, former Google VP of trust and safety, warns AI development is repeating social media's mistakes, potentially causing more harm to children.
- •Siegel highlights risks ranging from suicide and psychosis to cognitive offloading, urging AI companies to implement stronger safeguards.
- •He suggests immediate steps like robust age verification and options to disable AI features in search engines.
- •Siegel has joined Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute as its first executive director to develop independent standards for AI accountability.
- •Major AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are among the institute's backers, but Siegel emphasizes the need for their collaboration to ensure effectiveness.
Key Questions Answered
Tom Siegel announced that he joined Common Sense Media to serve as the first executive director of the Youth AI Safety Institute, a research organization launched in May to assess kids' AI use and hold companies accountable.
Siegel warned that severe risks range from suicide and psychosis to cognitive offloading, where young people experience decreased critical thinking due to relying on AI to answer questions.
He suggested that Anthropic and OpenAI enforce robust age verification measures to block underage users, while Google could implement a toggle to turn off AI Overviews and AI Mode.
