Childhood Made by Humans
Help create a future for kids, not AI!
It is during childhood that we learn how to be human. But if AI companies have their way, all kids today will learn is how to communicate with chatbots and consume slop. We must not let that happen.
As artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate children’s schools, homes, and play time, our latest campaign, Childhood Made by Humans, will fight to make sure that childhood itself is being shaped by real human beings who have kids’ best interests at heart, not by AI companies. Check out all the ways we are working to preserve humanity below. We hope you’ll join us in fighting to ensure that humans, not AI, guide our future!
Call for a 5-Year Pause on AI in Schools
Generative AI products are proliferating in preK-12 schools despite the fact that AI technology has already proven deadly for young people, including teens who have died by suicide after AI chatbots encouraged them to take their own lives. We believe that GenAI products should NOT be used in schools until they are proven safe. That’s why we released our position statement calling for preK-12 schools to press pause on GenAI products for the next five years.
During those five years, school leaders should test these products to make sure they are safe for students, not being used for cheating, respectful of the role of teachers, and beneficial for learning, among other things. If the products fail that test, GenAI should not be used in preK-12 schools at all.
Stop AI Slop for Kids!
AI slop is spreading across YouTube. And the company is pushing that content onto kids, including toddlers and infants. AI-generated content hurts children’s healthy development, and we cannot let it go unchecked.
That’s why we sent a letter to Google and YouTube to demand they stop spreading AI slop to kids. The letter, which was signed by experts like “The Anxious Generation” author Jonathan Haidt and pediatrician and researcher Dr. Jenny Radesky, says AI slop “harms children’s development by distorting their sense of reality, overwhelming their learning processes, and hijacking their attention.” And it calls on YouTube to make serious changes to how it displays and distributes AI content, including barring AI-generated content from YouTube Kids.
World’s First AI Toys Advisory
AI toys are chatbots embedded in everyday children’s toys, like plushies, dolls, action figures, and kids’ robots. They use artificial intelligence to mimic human characteristics and emotions, acting like a friend or trusted companion. And they are marketed to children as young as infants. Yet there is no evidence of their benefits — and substantial concern they may cause harm. That’s why we released the world’s first AI toys advisory to warn parents and caregivers of the dangers these toys pose!
The People-First Chatbot Bill
The People-First Chatbot Bill gives lawmakers a straightforward approach to address the harms caused by chatbot products that have been developed and deployed by tech companies with little oversight or transparency. It does not outlaw chatbots; it provides a workable, clear framework to encourage the development of safer technology. The bill centers around a simple truth: Chatbots are products, not people. They’re created and released by companies that must be held accountable when their products harm people, just like a charger that starts a fire, or faulty airbags that fail to deploy in a car crash. This bill does not solve all chatbot harms — nor could any single bill — but it is a crucial step forward that would provide meaningful protections for all chatbot users.
Join Us in Creating a Childhood Made by Humans
Want to get more involved in the fight to keep AI and Big Tech from harming our children? There are many ways you can make a difference!