Lawmakers' focus on AI disasters misses everyday harms
Two opinion writers say safety rules that target the worst outcomes leave common damage to thinking and relationships unaddressed.
Policy#07
Policy
Image: MIT Technology Review
The short version
- Lawmakers are passing industry-backed bills to guard against the worst outcomes, rather than addressing more common problems.
- Google backed bills to regulate AI chatbots in several states, and the legislation mandated basic protections against sexual content and promotion of self-harm.
- People who use the internet now spend an average of more than two hours a day on social media platforms.
- A third of teens now choose to discuss serious matters with AI companions instead of other people.
Why it matters
The authors argue that narrow safety rules can let a product pass while it still erodes how people think, learn and interact. They say the engagement incentives seen in social media now shape AI products. They call for proof that AI improves learning before it is used in classrooms.
“We should demand safety as a minimum, yes—and then demand considerably more.”