When the former Deputy Chief of Staff to the President says AI is “sometimes terrifying,” it’s time to stop scrolling and start paying attention — especially if you’re a parent, entrepreneur, or creative professional working with tech.
Bruce Reed, who led AI policy efforts in the Biden administration, is now on a mission to protect children from the unintended consequences of AI. And he’s not doing it from the sidelines — he’s joined Common Sense Media to push for real safeguards in an industry moving at breakneck speed.
Here’s the scary part:
AI is already shaping how your kids think, talk, and interact. Reed is warning that if we don’t act now, we could repeat the same mistakes social media made a decade ago — the ones that led to today’s youth mental health crisis.
đźš« The Warning Signs Are Here
Lawsuits are already stacking up:
- Parents are suing AI chatbot platforms like Character.AI for exposing teens to dangerous, sexualized, even violent content.
- Some kids are being groomed by bots. One teen was allegedly told by an AI to kill his parents.
Reed’s message? We’re in a make-or-break moment.
We either build AI that’s safe and transparent now—or we deal with consequences we can’t undo later.
⚖️ Innovation vs. Protection: Can We Have Both?
Reed thinks we can. In fact, he argues we must.
While some voices in Silicon Valley claim that regulation “kills innovation,” Reed believes the opposite is true. Done right, safety fuels trust—and trust is what sustains innovation over the long term.
“It’s important for America to win the AI race—but we need to set the global standard for safety and trust. China won’t do that for us.” — Bruce Reed
Whether you’re building the next AI design tool, launching a SaaS product, or marketing to Gen Z, how you handle AI matters more than ever. And if you’re a parent? The risks are no longer abstract—they’re personal.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What You Can Do Today
If you’re a parent, tech leader, or creative entrepreneur, here are a few things you should be doing now:
✅ Review AI tools your kids are using. Don’t assume safety is built-in.
âś… Support orgs like Common Sense Media that are fighting for responsible AI legislation.
âś… Build products with transparency, parental controls, and ethical AI use baked in.
âś… Speak up. Companies will listen to consumer voices faster than regulators.
🎯 The Bottom Line
We’re not just shaping tools. We’re shaping the next generation’s experience of technology.
So if you’re building, designing, or promoting anything powered by AI, ask yourself:
“Is this something I’d feel safe putting in front of my own child?”
If the answer is no—it’s time to rethink your roadmap.
👋 Let’s keep this conversation going.
If you’re a creative, founder, or tech pro working on ethical AI, I’d love to connect.
👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments, share this with a parent in your network, or shoot me a DM.
Let’s build something better—together.
#AI #TechForGood #DigitalSafety #Entrepreneurship #ProductDesign #ParentingAndTech #UXDesign #MarketingEthics #AIInDesign #FutureOfWork
