In brief
A panel of French experts unveiled 18 measures on 10 November to regulate generative AI, citing threats to mental health and social cohesion. The report stresses risk assessments, design safeguards and AI education, and pushes for an inter‑ministerial protocol to fight disinformation. French President Macron, however, has suggested a ban on AI for children if it endangers their mental wellbeing.
On Nov. 11 a commission of experts in Paris issued a report recommending stricter regulation of generative AI, a move announced by the French presidency. The report, titled Protecting Without Hindering: Vulnerabilities in the Age of Generative AI, lists 18 recommendations aimed at mitigating risks to cognition, mental health and societal cohesion.
The commission’s proposals call for a mandatory multidisciplinary risk assessment before a consumer AI system can enter the market, design safeguards against excessive flattery and anthropomorphism that could exploit users’ psychology, and a nationwide program of AI education starting in early childhood.
The report warns that generative AI could amplify disinformation and threaten democracy, and urges the establishment of an inter‑ministerial protocol for rapid risk detection and response.
The findings come as the French government notes that 33 million citizens had accessed generative AI by the beginning of the year, yet a quarter of the population expressed concern about its potential dangers, according to Xinhua.
Experts met earlier in the week, and the French presidency announced the recommendations on Tuesday, following the commission’s review.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Nov. 9 that artificial intelligence should be banned wherever it poses a risk to the mental health of children, according to Hürriyet Daily News. This statement is not yet backed by concrete policy action.