Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expanding efforts surrounding children’s online safety as detailed in a new statement. The Parents’ Network from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable Archewell Foundation is teaming up with ParentsTogether, a national nonprofit focused on advocating for families and online safety.
The news comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were honoured last night with the Humanitarians of the Year Award at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala on October 9 in New York. Speaking at the award ceremony last night, Prince Harry warned of “the explosion of unregulated artificial intelligence”. He added: “As our network grew, we’ve seen the full scope of what we’re facing.
“We have witnessed the explosion of unregulated artificial intelligence, heard more and more stories from heartbroken families, and watched parents all over the world become increasingly concerned about their children’s digital lives.”
The Duke of Sussex also added: “When we learned that thousands of families from every corner of society were facing the same challenges, many learning for the first time that it was actually social media that took their child, we knew this movement needed to grow.”
As reported by People Magazine, the groups are joining forces as new research shows the urgent need for enhanced parental support and greater legislation to protect children from AI-related harms in a rapidly changing landscape as chatbots become increasingly popular.
According to recent research from ParentsTogether, investigators posing as children on AI chatbot platforms experienced harmful interactions every five minutes.
The Parents’ Network began in 2022 as a community of families in the US who lost a child to social media-driven suicide or whose children have struggled because of online platforms.
In a statement about the announcement, the Archewell Foundation’s co-executive directors James Holt and Shauna Nep said, “When we launched The Parents’ Network, we were among the few voices calling attention to the devastating impact of social media and emerging technologies on young people. Today, the landscape has transformed dramatically.”
“Legislation is emerging across the country, more families are coming forward with their stories, and the urgency of this moment is undeniable,” they continued.
“This connection with ParentsTogether ensures our community has the infrastructure, advocacy power, and resources needed to meet this critical moment in protecting our children.”
