Macron calls for ban on AI applications that risk harming children

French President Emmanuel Macron says AI applications that pose a risk to children should be banned, with particular concern for their mental health. His remarks come as an expert commission prepares recommendations on protective measures and he calls for tighter European rules on AI models used by children.

“If there is a risk to children from certain AI applications, then they must be banned,” Macron told Les Échos, according to a report by Nieuws.nl. He did not identify specific applications or propose a particular ban in the interview as reported.

Macron said the European rules should require AI models to be assessed before children can use them. An expert commission is due to present him with recommendations on Tuesday.

On Monday, Macron held a video conference with about 50 participants, including government leaders and AI industry executives Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic. Macron said they agreed, among other things, on the need for independent assessors.