Common Sense Media Launches Youth AI Safety Institute

Common Sense Media has launched the Youth AI Safety Institute, according to a press release. The new organization will independently evaluate AI products used by children, publish the results, and set safety standards to ensure that AI technologies are appropriate for young users.

The Institute will operate with editorial independence and will function similarly to crash test rating systems used in the automotive industry. It will test widely used AI tools, provide public ratings, and hold developers accountable for meeting youth safety benchmarks. The organization also plans to research youth behavior, conduct public education efforts, and study the effects of AI on mental, social, and cognitive development.

Philanthropic supporters include Lee Ainslie, Jim Coulter, John H. N. Fisher, Paul Tudor Jones, Gene Sykes, and the Walton Family Foundation. Industry-related funders include Anthropic, the OpenAI Foundation, and Pinterest. Despite the funding, the Institute is solely responsible for its evaluations and research.

The advisory board includes experts such as Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, John Giannandrea, John King Jr., Dr. Jenny Radesky, and Mehran Sahami. Dr. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General, will serve as liaison to the Institute's board. The organization will announce further plans at the Copenhagen Summit on May 12, co-hosted with Save the Children Denmark and Margrethe Vestager.