Two northern B.C. chambers of commerce are calling for restrictions on social media and generative AI for youth under 16.
The call comes as both communities, Prince George and Tumbler Ridge, have dealt with tragedies linked in some way to online platforms.
"These tools are so powerful that that we shouldn't have unrestricted access to those tools for children," Prince George Chamber of Commerce CEO Neil Godbout said in an interview with CBC's Daybreak North about the proposal.
The proposal is also backed by the chamber in Tumbler Ridge, where the 18-year-old perpetrator of a mass shooting last month had been flagged by OpenAI for violating the policies of ChatGPT.
In Prince George, the suicide of a 12-year-old boy in 2023 was linked to online sexual extortion, prompting Premier David Eby to promise reforms.
Godbout said his organization wants to see regulation similar to what is in place in Australia, limiting access to social media platforms and online forums for those under 16.
"We don't teach 11-year-olds to drive because obviously there's a clear and present danger there, and that's what we're acknowledging here. These are very valuable tools ... but in terms of the unrestricted access for kids, we probably shouldn't have that," he said.
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said she is supportive of the calls to regulate social media for kids but said any changes should come from the federal level.
Canada's Minister of Artificial and Digital Regulation Evan Solomon met with OpenAI head Sam Altman this week, as did Eby, with the tech company promising changes to how it communicates with law enforcement in B.C.
Solomon said he also plans to meet with other major tech companies in the weeks ahead.
-CBC News/A. Kurjata
Add comment
Comments