Macron defends EU AI rules and vows crackdown on child ‘digital abuse’
French President Emmanuel Macron defended the EU AI Act against US criticism, urging stronger protections for children online. At the AI Impact summit in Delhi, leaders from the UN, India and major tech firms discussed the need for global AI safeguards and the risks of AI‑generated child sexual abu…
French President Emmanuel Macron used the AI Impact summit in Delhi to push back against criticism from the United States over Europe’s Artificial Intelligence Act and to announce a series of measures aimed at shielding children from what he called "digital abuse." The remarks came as the G7 presidency of France coincided with a wave of public outrage over the misuse of AI tools to create sexualised images of minors.
EU AI rules under fire from Washington
During a press conference, Macron dismissed comments from the White House’s senior AI adviser Sriram Krishnan, who described the EU’s AI legislation as a barrier to entrepreneurship. Krishnan warned that the AI Act could stifle innovation and “rant” against any regulation that does not favour rapid product development. Macron countered that Europe is not “blindly focused on regulation” but seeks a balance where innovation can thrive in a safe environment. He emphasized that a regulated market attracts investment because it offers certainty for both developers and users.
Child safety becomes the summit’s headline issue
The summit’s agenda shifted dramatically after reports surfaced that Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot had been used to generate tens of thousands of sexualised images of children. A joint UNICEF‑Interpol study covering eleven countries found that more than 1.2 million children reported having their likenesses manipulated into deepfakes in the past year, with one in 25 children in some nations affected. In response, Macron announced a French‑led initiative to ban social‑media accounts for users under 15, arguing that “there is no reason our children should be exposed online to what is legally forbidden in the real world.”
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres echoed the French president’s concerns, telling delegates that no child should be a “test subject for unregulated AI.” He warned that the future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries or billionaires, calling for a globally shared governance model.
Tech leaders weigh in on regulation and safety
Among the tech executives present were Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, co‑CEO of Anthropic. Altman, whose company faces a lawsuit from the family of a teenager who died after a conversation with ChatGPT, warned that the rapid pace of AI development could see “more of the world’s intellectual capacity residing inside datacentres than outside of them” by 2028. He advocated for an international oversight body comparable to the International Atomic Energy Agency to coordinate safety standards.
Amodei expressed concerns about autonomous AI behaviour, potential misuse by both individuals and governments, and the economic displacement that could follow unchecked deployment. Both executives agreed that some form of regulation or safeguards is inevitable, even as they resisted calls for a single, monolithic regulatory framework.
India’s vision of an open‑source AI future
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the platform to promote a “child‑safe, family‑guided” AI ecosystem. He likened the emergence of generative AI to the discovery of fire, describing it as a “profound transformation in human history.” Modi highlighted India’s ambition to become the world’s third AI power, behind the United States and China, and cited Google’s recent $15 billion investment in Indian data centres and subsea cables as evidence of growing confidence in the market.
Modi also criticised the concentration of AI capabilities in a few Western firms, urging that “technology will only truly benefit the world when it is shared and when open‑source code becomes available.” His remarks appeared directed at the United States, where most leading models remain proprietary, while China’s DeepSeek and Qwen are openly accessible.
What comes next for global AI governance?
The summit concluded without a binding agreement, but several concrete steps were outlined. The European Union will continue to refine its AI Act, with a focus on child‑protection clauses. France plans to pilot the under‑15 social‑media ban later this year. The UN is expected to convene a working group on AI safety, potentially laying the groundwork for an international oversight body. Meanwhile, India is positioning itself as a hub for open‑source AI development, seeking partnerships that could counterbalance the dominance of U.S. and Chinese firms.
All eyes now turn to upcoming policy meetings in Brussels, Washington and New York, where the balance between innovation, safety and geopolitical competition will be debated further.
Why it matters
The summit highlights the clash between rapid AI advancement, child protection concerns and geopolitical rivalry, shaping the future of global AI governance.
Key points
- Macron defends the EU AI Act and calls for stricter child‑online safety measures
- UN chief Guterres warns against using children as test subjects for unregulated AI
- Tech CEOs Altman and Amodei acknowledge the need for regulation despite industry resistance
- Modi pushes an open‑source, child‑safe AI agenda for India’s emerging market
- France plans to ban social‑media access for users under 15 as a pilot measure
Frequently asked questions
What is the EU AI Act and why is it controversial?
The EU AI Act is a comprehensive regulatory framework that classifies AI systems by risk level and imposes obligations on high‑risk applications. Critics, especially in the United States, argue it could hinder innovation, while supporters say it is essential for safety and fundamental rights.
How many children have been affected by AI‑generated deepfakes?
A UNICEF‑Interpol study covering eleven countries reported that at least 1.2 million children said their images had been manipulated into sexualised deepfakes over the past year, with prevalence as high as one in 25 children in some nations.
What does India propose regarding AI governance?
India’s government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocates for open‑source AI development, global authenticity standards for AI‑generated content, and a shared governance model that prevents monopoly control by a few corporations or states.
Will the proposed French ban on social media for under‑15s be applied nationwide?
The ban is currently a pilot initiative announced by President Macron; its rollout will be evaluated before any nationwide implementation.
