FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 8, 2026
CONTACT:
Ashwin Verghese, [email protected], 508-263-0289
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Statement on OpenAI Child Safety Blueprint
Fairplay Executive Director Josh Golin released the following statement today:
“OpenAI is right that artificial intelligence is a new threat to kids, but the company’s response to that threat comes from the same old playbook. Sam Altman has faced intense public criticism recently, so he’s trying to generate some good PR by professing a commitment to child safety. However, like Mark Zuckerberg and other Big Tech CEOs before him, Altman is offering only half-measures in an attempt to quiet public outrage.
“OpenAI’s blueprint fails to grapple with a whole range of harms that its products can cause children, including attachment disorder, romantic or sexual roleplay between minors and chatbots styled as adults, mental health harms, suicide, and violence against others. We’ve also seen other Big Tech companies express a commitment to child safety, then fail to follow through on their words, so this blueprint from OpenAI should be taken with a grain of salt.
“If OpenAI truly cares about child safety, it should get out of the way of state legislation, such as the People-First Model Chatbot Bill, that would actually protect children from the dangers of AI and hold OpenAI accountable for its actions.”
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About Fairplay
Fairplay is the leading nonprofit committed to helping children thrive in an increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture, and the only organization dedicated to ending marketing to children. Fairplay works to enhance children’s well-being by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and Big Tech. Learn more at www.fairplayforkids.org.