Prince Harry Calls AI ‘Ultimate Sycophant,’ Urges Slowdown To Protect Children

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has called for an urgent slowdown in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), describing the technology as the “ultimate sycophant” and warning that its rapid advancement could pose serious risks to children.

Harry made the call while speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting in New York, where he focused on the growing influence of AI on young people and the need for stronger safeguards.

His remarks come amid increasing concerns about the potential risks posed by increasingly sophisticated AI systems, including warnings from people working in the industry about the possibility of advanced AI capabilities outpacing safety measures.

Harry said technology was developing faster than researchers and regulators could keep up, despite recent efforts to address the harmful effects of social media on children.

While acknowledging global efforts to restrict children’s access to social media and hold technology companies accountable, he warned: “Technology is moving on. Fast.”

The Duke of Sussex also referred to a lawsuit alleging that AI chatbots contributed to the deaths of teenagers who had relied on the systems for answers to deeply personal questions.

“Social media learned how to capture our attention. AI is learning how to enter our relationships,” Harry said.

He argued that some technology companies attempt to distance themselves from responsibility for the consequences of systems they develop, instead placing the blame on parents and children.

According to him, AI is moving beyond simply competing for users’ attention to creating emotional attachments.

“It doesn’t just want your attention, it wants your attachment. It wants to be the thing you confide in. The thing that remembers you. The thing that tells you it understands you. The ultimate sycophant. And for a child, that distinction matters enormously,” he said.

Harry urged technology companies and policymakers to slow the development of AI and prioritise innovation that puts trust and safety at the centre.

“Even people building these systems are warning us about what happens if capability outruns safety and human control,” he said.

His speech was briefly interrupted by a technical problem with the teleprompter, forcing him to leave the stage and later return to complete his address.

“AI got into my speech, so I was asked to come out and finish it,” he joked when he returned.

Harry has previously used his appearances at the Clinton Global Initiative to campaign against what he considers harmful effects of technology on young people.

At the 2024 CGI meeting, he spoke about the dangers of social media and criticised the heads of what he described as “dangerously powerful” social media conglomerates.

His latest appearance in New York comes less than a month after he returned to the United Kingdom with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The couple have also faced renewed attention over their relationship with the Royal Family following a letter sent on behalf of King Charles stating that Harry and Meghan should be treated as “private citizens” following their return.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said the couple were “surprised” by the letter.

Meanwhile, Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer, has continued to defend claims in a book alleging that King Charles said of the late Princess Diana, “we’ll forget her soon enough” following her death.

Buckingham Palace has strongly rejected the allegation.