Social media and AI ban for New Brunswick youth a possibility: Holt

There are calls for New Brunswick to bring in a social media ban for young people and to reconsider its inclusion of AI chatbots in its draft curriculum for the anglophone sector.

During Question Period on Wednesday, Green Party Deputy Leader Megan Mitton asked the premier if she would consider banning social media and AI for children, as Manitoba is set to do.

Manitoba will be the first province to bring in such a ban. Other provinces are eyeing similar bans, including Saskatchewan, which is gathering feedback on the idea.

The federal Liberals recently adopted a non-binding resolution mandating a minimum age of 16 for social platforms and generative AI.

“Social media platforms are designed to be addictive and designed to get kids hooked,” said Mitton.

“They interfere with healthy eating and sleeping habits. It’s not a matter of willpower. Social media platforms want to keep kids on them as long as possible.”

In response, Premier Susan Holt said social media use is something she’s “wrestling with personally at home” with her three children — “none of whom have devices and limited access to these accounts.”

“We’ve been certainly watching very closely what Australia has done as they moved to restrict access with an age gate to social media platforms,” she said.

“We think what Manitoba is proposing is really interesting and we have a team that’s looking right now at the various policy mechanisms that we might have available at our disposal to do exactly what the member opposite is asking.”

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Education minister, Claire Johnson, said her department is also looking into social media within schools.

“As a parent myself, I’m quite concerned about social media,” Johnson told reporters.

“It’s prevalent and we know that it can have some harms. So we’re worried and we’re paying close attention to what’s happening elsewhere. We’re monitoring what’s happened in Manitoba and in Australia, and we are looking to look at what’s working there and develop best practices for New Brunswick.”

Use of AI in schools

But Mitton said the use of AI in the draft curriculum for the anglophone sector is what concerns her most.

“For example, it suggests kindergarten students use AI tools to come up with ideas or prompts to explore or represent simple data. Isn’t that what their brains are for?” Mitton asked the education minister during question period.

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AI to be integrated into New Brunswick classrooms

In response, Johnson said there is “some good use” to AI technology.

“They can be, these tools can be used to help with learning, to assist with learning difficulties and also to create dynamic learning environments,” she said.

“So that’s why we are focused on using AI chatbots, all of these tools, in an ethical and responsible way.”

Outside the chambers, Opposition Leader Glen Savoie told reporters there are “many questions that I think need to be answered” before he can say whether a ban is necessary.

He said his concern is “future-looking” and what the ramifications would be if AI is introduced to children as young as kindergarten.

“What does a (high school) diploma look like from a New Brunswick student that has had access to AI, has been trained not to think independently since the age of five years old?” he said.

“So there are ramifications here that I think are not being considered, that need to be looked at.”

Johnson told reporters that “AI is part of our world and our reality” and she believes the education system needs to “echo and recognize that reality.”

“We have put out a draft strategy on AI, and we’ve engaged with stakeholders on how they see this being rolled out into the system. So it is a K to 12 strategy, but that doesn’t mean that kindergarten students are going to be using AI,” she said.

“When we talk about the lower grade levels, we talk about awareness. They don’t start using AI until much later.”

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