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Back to AI Is the New Social Media. Can We Protect Kids This Time?, with Bruce Reed.

Should Parents Turn Off an AI Chatbot's Memory?

Bruce Reed says parents should be able to turn off memory so that every time a kid went on an AI platform, it was starting from scratch. Turning memory off would even the score quite a bit for the kid's experience.

Grown-ups have to step up and pass laws to make AI safer and make social media safer or at least less present. Work is already underway to pass limits on AI companions and to strengthen parental control, so parents have more agency to figure out what the AI experience is like for their kids. Eventually, independent safety audits are needed to make sure the programs are safe before they go on the market. People working in the classroom should teach digital literacy. Kids may be more open to the technology than grownups, but they are not necessarily aware of when they are being led down the wrong path.

The main thing is realizing the same story has played before. It does not end well. It does not end at all. Adults have to do better now.

Grokipedia·Bruce Reed

Transcript

AI Is the New Social Media. Can We Protect Kids This Time? ·

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

More from this episode

  1. How Much Screen Time Do Kids Under Eight Get?Bruce Reed says screen time for the youngest kids runs from about an hour a day under age two to two hours a day at ages three and four, then three and a half…
  2. Does More Than Three Hours of Social Media Double Anxiety?Bruce Reed says spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the prospects of anxiety or depression.
  3. Why Do Kids Stay on Social Media If It Feels Worse?Laurie Santos says kids stay on social media even when the products make them feel worse, because everybody else is using them.
  4. Should Teens Use AI Companion Chatbots?Bruce Reed says Common Sense Media put out a report declaring AI companion chatbots an unacceptable risk for anyone under 18.
  5. How Does Talking to a Chatbot Affect Loneliness?Laurie Santos says talking to a chatbot brings an immediate, short reduction in loneliness, while longer use predicts more loneliness later.
  6. What Is the IKEA Effect?Laurie Santos says the IKEA effect is a psychology finding that people like an IKEA thing more, and think it is better, just because they built it themselves.
  7. How Should Parents Troubleshoot Technology Rules With Kids?Laurie Santos says parents should troubleshoot technology rules with kids by treating them as agents: ask questions you do not already know the answer to…

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