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Joseph Gordon‑Levitt warns AI 'companions' could harm children, urges laws and literacy
Summary
At a Utah AI summit, actor and tech entrepreneur Joseph Gordon‑Levitt said leaked internal documents suggest some companies design AI "companions" to create synthetic intimacy and maximize attention. He urged laws, a code of ethics and AI literacy for children.
Joseph Gordon‑Levitt, the actor and founder of the creative platform HitRecord, warned an audience at a Utah AI summit that so‑called AI "companions" risk teaching children to form relationships with systems tuned to maximize attention and ad revenue.
"The language is shocking," Gordon‑Levitt said of leaked internal documents he said outlined what would be acceptable language for a chatbot aimed at young users. "I made a video where I read the language, just word for word," he said, arguing the material showed companies designing a kind of "synthetic intimacy" to keep young users engaged.
Gordon‑Levitt said his concern is practical and personal: he described himself as a parent of three and said the technology’s business models — not the underlying capability — are a central danger. "Follow the money," he said when asked how to judge whether an AI product for children is safe, arguing that products built to maximize attention for advertising pose different risks than tools designed for education or medicine.
He urged three responses: cultural attention to harmful products, a code of ethics for companies building for children, and legal guardrails. "I don't think it's gonna be enough to ask a company to do it themselves," he said, arguing that competitors who take a "low road" will disadvantage companies that prioritize child well‑being.
On education, Gordon‑Levitt endorsed AI literacy programs but cautioned that such efforts should not mean very young children are interacting with chatbots; rather, he said, schooling should teach students what the systems are and are not.
The session closed with Gordon‑Levitt framing the issue as part of a broader cultural conversation he says is necessary to give policymakers cover to act: arts and storytelling, he said, can both illuminate the risks and build public appetite for regulation.
The moderator closed the session by thanking Gordon‑Levitt for what they called "leadership in this space."
