French President Emmanuel Macron said AI uses that pose risks to children should be banned, while a government expert panel recommended multidisciplinary checks on consumer generative AI systems intended for nonprofessional use before they enter the market.
Macron made the remarks in a Les Echos interview published Nov. 9. He argued for prohibiting certain AI applications if they endanger children, but did not identify specific products or uses.
The Council on AI and Digital Technology delivered its report to Macron on Nov. 10, the Élysée said. The panel produced 18 recommendations, drawing on 55 hearings and a nine-member group of independent experts from several fields.
One recommendation would require multidisciplinary review before consumer generative AI systems intended for nonprofessional use reach the market. The report also calls for tighter rules on designs that make AI seem excessively human or flattering, as well as AI education from an early age. Together, the proposals address product access, design and education.
The Council's broader assessment covers dependence on AI, excessive personification and the commercial use of users' vulnerabilities. It said companies can derive business value from users' cognitive patterns, emotions and psychological profiles. The Council argued that safeguards should address those commercial incentives, rather than leaving individuals and families to manage the risks alone.
Le Monde reported that Arthur Barichard, the Council's director, said the rapporteurs could not agree on whether to propose a ban on AI assistants.
Separately, the Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI has proposed phasing in advance approval for AI systems designed to benefit children. In a Sept. 22 Élysée statement announcing the roadmap, Macron said AI should not be placed in children's hands before it is “tested, evaluated and therefore authorized.” The coalition plans to present its first voluntary commitments at the Paris Peace Forum on Nov. 10-11.
