This week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced a proposal “to prevent children from accessing artificial intelligence features on social media sites without the consent of a parent or guardian.”
Scott unveiled the “Artificial Intelligence Shield for Kids (ASK) Act” which “requires the Federal Communications Commission, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, to issue rules prohibiting social media companies from charging a fee or mandating a paid subscription, as Snapchat has recently done, before allowing parents or kids to remove artificial intelligence features from products used by minors.”
The senator weighed in on why he introduced the proposal.
“Artificial intelligence surely has productive uses, but it can also present grave threats, especially to our children,” Scott said. “Today, as the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discusses the threats posed by AI, I am introducing my ASK Act to protect our kids and give parents the power to decide what their children are exposed to without paying ridiculous fees. I have long been a supporter of doing more to keep our kids safe online and as technology evolves, there is no doubt that we must do more to combat the emerging threats our children are facing every day on the internet.
“I have seven grandkids and I’m terrified by the lack of control available to parents when it comes to social media and AI. Every child is worth protecting and we should never make the job harder for parents. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to keep our kids safe,” Scott added.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S. House and no Senate co-sponsors.
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