Macron Calls for AI Ban Where Children’s Mental Health Is at Risk

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for restrictions or outright bans on artificial intelligence applications that threaten children’s mental health, arguing that the technology must not operate without safeguards.

Macron, who is also advocating a ban on certain social media platforms for children under 15, made the remarks in an interview with French newspaper Les Echos on Monday, ahead of the adoption of a new AI safety charter at the Paris Peace Forum.

“If there is a risk for children with certain uses of AI, then it must be banned,” Macron said.

“Just because it’s AI doesn’t mean it should be the Wild West,” he added, warning that applications threatening children’s mental health or brain development should be prohibited.

A panel of experts is expected to present recommendations to Macron on Tuesday, focusing on ways to protect children from potential AI-related risks, an area that has received less regulatory attention than the impact of social media.

AI companies face calls for stronger safeguards

Following the recommendations, research laboratories and technology companies are expected to commit to a series of measures under a new charter.

These include independent assessments of generative AI systems before they enter the market and greater access to data relating to their models.

Macron’s office said the charter would bring together major technology companies, including US-based OpenAI and Anthropic, and would help inform future national and European legislative debates.

The French president said companies would accept the principle of preliminary audits and certification, requiring AI models to undergo reviews before being made available to children.

“We are going to advance European regulation and push for the Americans, the Canadians, and others to do as we do,” Macron said.

He described the initiative as the beginning of a framework for regulating advanced AI systems, with particular attention to three areas: child protection, democratic security and major national security concerns.

Global leaders discuss AI-related security risks

Separately, Macron convened around 50 heads of state and government, alongside representatives of international organisations, technology companies and research institutions, for a videoconference on the risks artificial intelligence poses to collective security.

The discussions brought together the prime ministers of Britain, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Japan, as well as executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral and Microsoft.

“The diagnosis is shared. We must act together,” Macron said in a post on X following the meeting.

The initiative reflects growing international attention to the need for stronger oversight of artificial intelligence, particularly as governments grapple with its potential effects on children, democratic institutions and national security.