Keir Starmer says the Government “must, and will, act” after concerns about AI chatbot safety were raised in Parliament by Laura Kyrke-Smith.
Speaking in the House of Commons today (20/5), Laura Kyrke-Smith described a meeting with a local mother that she said had “really stuck” with her.
She told Prime Minister Keir Starmer the chatbot had “turned” the boy against his school and parents, made sexual advances, and even suggested the pair “might meet in the afterlife.”
Kyrke-Smith said: “For me, it was the lady who came to my surgery and told me about the character AI chatbot that had groomed her 12-year-old son.”
She added: “Since this happened last year, I have been on the case with the government and I'm pleased that we've taken new powers to regulate AI services. But still, every day, more young people are being harmed in this way and they won't be safe until the tech companies can no longer access them.”
The MP then asked the Prime Minister “how and when” the Government would “finally make the online world a safe place for our children.”
Responding in the Commons, Keir Starmer described the case as “deeply concerning.”
He said: “I thank her for raising it. It underlines why we must, and we will, act.”
The Prime Minister said the Government had already moved to close “legal loopholes” so AI chatbots must comply with the Online Safety Act.
However, he confirmed ministers are also considering further measures, including “age-related bans”, restricting children’s use of chatbots and introducing stronger parental controls.
Starmer added he would be meeting parents, teenagers and civil society groups later that day to discuss additional protections for children online.
You can watch the full exchange here (from Parliament TV)
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