U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is continuing to sound the alarm about threats of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) to American children.
Britt has made it a priority to protect children online and introduced measures such as the Kids Off Social Media Act and the Stop the Scroll Act earlier this year.
The senator discussed Sunday on CNN‘s “State of the Union.”
“I often say I don’t have to ask people what it’s like to raise kids right now, I am living it and live with two teenagers,15 and 16,” Britt explained. “And so when you come with that perspective, you know that there are parents out there that are looking for tools to help keep their children safe. Also, when you look at both social media and technology and how fast everything is moving, it’s truly hard to keep up.”
“When’s the last time you scrolled and scrolled and scrolled and felt better after you finished,” she added. “And so I think if we think about all of those things and what our kids are dealing with right now, it is imperative that we put up guardrails, especially when you’re looking at AI.”
Britt said she’s frustrated that Congress hasn’t passed much needed legislation on this problem.
“Enough is enough,” she exclaimed, “How long is it going to take Congress to actually act? I mean, you think about this. We have been talking about this for years. How many parents like the one that we just heard from are going to have to come and tell us a devastating story before we actually pass legislation? The truth is, is these AI companies can absolutely do much of this on their own, but we know consistently, time and time again, whether it’s been social media companies or now some of the AI space, that we consistently see people putting their profits over actual people.”
Britt said she will continue to “bring a voice” to this issue because too many parents are frustrated.
“I want to elevate this topic for parents from coast to coast. I mean, we are not doing enough to put up guardrails,” she argued. “I mean, you and I did not grow up with front facing cameras. So when you’re looking at what’s happening right now with sextortion and young people, when you’re looking at what’s happening right now with the bullying online and whatnot.”
“You know, if these things were happening in a storefront on a main street in Alabama, we would shut that store down, but we are not able to do that,” she continued. “The liability shield that we see in these social media companies and and to an extent in this AI space has to be taken down, because people need to be held accountable. If you are designing machines or designing platforms or algorithms that are pushing kids into depression or pushing them towards suicide, you absolutely should be held liable for that.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
