Anthropic co-founder says he doesn’t give daughter full access to YouTube because it makes him nervous
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has revealed that he does not allow his daughter unrestricted access to YouTube. He insisted that the idea of his daughter having unfettered access to the YouTube algorithm ‘terrifies him.’
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has revealed that he does not give his young daughter uninterrupted or full access to YouTube because its algorithm annoys him. Clark joins a long list of high-profile Silicon Valley tech executives who have publicly expressed views on limiting the use of social media and video-sharing platforms like YouTube in their homes, especially among their children.
“I have the classic Californian technology executive view that there’s not so much technology for kids,” Clark, who is also head of policy at Anthropic, the company behind the viral AI chatbot called Cloud, said on The Ezra Klein Show.
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Unrestricted YouTube Access ‘Freaks Out’ Anthropic Co-Founder
Jack Clark insisted that although he allows his daughter, who is a “child”, to watch YouTube, he does not give her unrestricted access. “We have a smart TV. My child can watch ‘Blue’ and some other shows, but we have not given him unfettered access to the YouTube algorithm,” he said.
The Anthropic co-founder admitted that the idea of exposing his daughter to YouTube algorithms was worrying. “It makes me nervous,” Clark added.
Jack said that he has noticed that his daughter’s inclination towards watching YouTube is increasing. He explained, “But I see her on TV watching the YouTube panel, and I know at some point we have to have this conversation.”
Tech leaders who restrict online exposure for their children
Clark is not alone in the tech industry who has tried to prevent his child from being exposed to online platforms. In December last year, YouTube CEO Neil Mohan had said that he had restricted the use of the social media platform for his children.
Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki previously said she only allowed her young children to use YouTube Kids – a curated version of the platform designed for children under 13.
Last year, Miranda Kerr said that she and her husband, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, did not allow their teenage son to have a smartphone or computer inside their room after 9:30 p.m. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel said in 2024 that his children will be given only 90 minutes of screen time per week.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also gave his children cell phones only when they turned 14. While in 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said that his children did not use the iPad.
Governments are also taking action. Last year, Australia became the first country to ban all social media platforms for children under 16. Spain has also announced similar plans.
Anthropic co-founder suggests stricter parental controls for AI
Clark acknowledged that technology is becoming more “ubiquitous”, making it “harder” for modern families to avoid it. He also acknowledged that AI also requires parental controls. He said, “We cater to people 18 and older today, but obviously, kids are smart, and they’ll try to get this thing.”
Anthropic currently requires users to be 18 years of age or older to create an account to use its platform. Jack Clark added, “You would need to create a whole bunch of systems to stop kids from spending so much time with it.”
In September last year, OpenAI introduced parental controls for Chatbot, allowing parents to monitor how their child used the chatbot.