The prosecutors in 47 states of the United States, Washington D.C., and the territories have reached a settlement with Meta, accusing it of deliberately designing addictive products harmful to children. As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to pay fines ranging from $12 billion to $17 billion and to make changes to product design for underage users. Amba Kak, co-director of the AI Now Institute, pointed out that fines alone cannot prevent harm that has already caused serious consequences such as suicide, and it is urgent to establish rules that address the root causes of the business model. Kak emphasized that the era when technology CEOs could solve social and political problems is over, and now is the best time for regulation of artificial intelligence.
The attorneys general of 47 states in the United States, along with Washington D.C. and the territories, have reached a settlement with tech giant Meta on charges of deliberately designing addictive products harmful to children. Meta will pay fines ranging from at least $12 billion to $17 billion and implement design changes for minor users. Amba Kak, co-director of the AI Now Institute, pointed out that fines alone cannot prevent harm that has already caused serious consequences such as suicide, and it is urgent to establish rules that address the root causes of business models. Kak emphasized that the era of relying on tech CEOs to solve social and political problems is over, and now is the best time for regulating artificial intelligence.