AI Chatbots Missed in Teen Social Media Ban Debate
As governments enact teen social media bans, experts warn that AI chatbots present a new, unregulated risk, with legislation lagging behind technological adoption.
Governments worldwide have recently moved to ban teenagers from social media platforms. Concurrently, teens are increasingly relying on AI chatbots, mirroring the issues previously associated with social media in the 2010s. Digital safety experts express concern that legislation concerning child safety and AI chatbots remains inadequate.
Approximately half of U.S. teens now use chatbots like ChatGPT and Character.AI for schoolwork, information, or entertainment, according to Pew Research Center. Growing evidence suggests that teens are using these AI tools as a substitute for real-life friendships and relationships, exhibiting patterns related to addiction.
Australia was the first country to legally enforce a ban on teens accessing social media in December, a move that has since been followed by the U.K., Spain, France, Greece, and Canada. U.S. states are also considering similar bans. Critics argue that lawmakers are again falling behind technological advancements.
"It is right that we use social media as a case study for what we don’t want to repeat. It’s kind of like, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me," Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at University College London, told CNBC. She criticized governments for spending years in adopting social media regulations only to repeat the same mistake by allowing untested AI products to reach children.
Experts are calling for a more rapid response to AI development to ensure the safety of young people in the digital sphere, before issues similar to those seen with social media arise.