UKs Starmer proposes new regulations for AI chatbots in child safety efforts

UK Prime Minister Announces Plans to Regulate AI Chatbots and Social Media Access for Minors

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to regulate artificial intelligence chatbots that pose a risk to children’s wellbeing. The government will target “vile and illegal content created by AI” and push for legal powers to act quickly on the findings of a public consultation.

The consultation, set to begin in March, will consider measures such as setting a minimum age limit for social media use and banning children from accessing virtual private networks (VPNs) to access pornography. The proposed regulations aim to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents navigate the complexities of social media.

Starmer has stated that technology is moving rapidly, and the law must keep pace. He plans to seek broader powers to regulate internet access for minors, which will require all AI chatbot providers to abide by digital safety laws. This includes a ban on creating sexualized images without consent.

The measures will be introduced as an amendment to existing crime and child-protection legislation being considered by Parliament. The government’s push for broader powers aims to act quickly on the consultation’s findings, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation.

This move follows similar actions taken by other countries, including Australia, which has prohibited children below 16 from using social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Social media companies have since revoked access to approximately 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to minors under the age of 16.

Source: Al Jazeera