Common Sense Media Hosts Inaugural Kids & AI Summit in New York City
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2026—Yesterday, Common Sense Media hosted its inaugural Kids & AI Summit, which brought together over 400 leaders in technology, education, public health, policy, philanthropy, and media at the New York Public Library.
The program explored major themes like how AI is impacting classroom learning, making AI tools safe and developmentally appropriate while holding the industry accountable, and unpacking lessons learned from the social media era.
The event followed an announcement from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who yesterday signed into law S. 9051/A. 10379, in response to harms that children and families have experienced from engaging with unsafe AI chatbots, including the death by suicide of several teenagers. The bill was Common Sense Media's top priority in New York state this year and was supported by a large coalition of organizations and parents across the state. Governor Hochul also attended the summit, where she addressed the new law she signed that morning.
"As artificial intelligence advances at a rapid pace, there have been too many tragic incidents that should have been prevented—and as New York's mom governor, I'm taking action," Governor Hochul said. "No company should be peddling chatbots to kids encouraging self-harm or pretending to be their friend or more. New York is sending a clear message: If you want to do business in our state, you need to put the safety of our kids first."
The summit included an array of insightful moments from key subject matter experts.
"What we are here to do is to lay out a pathway and build a coalition, to build a movement that can give all those people who love kids a source of hope." — Dr. Vivek Murthy, Former United States Surgeon General and Common Sense Media Board Member.
"Real change from industry is going to come when we start seeing criminal charges instead of civil charges." — Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General.
"Part of the interesting thing about artificial intelligence is that so much of the discourse is as if this came from on high. But AI is us. It's our thoughts, it's our data, it's our intelligence, it's our creativity. I fundamentally believe that we deserve to own at least our data." — Michael Tubbs, Senior Advisor, Common Sense Media and Former Mayor of Stockton, California.
"Today proved that when the people who shape kids' lives sit at the same table, the conversation about AI changes," said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. "This is the first generation of young people growing up with AI, and this Summit showed that together, we can build a youth AI agenda prioritizing safety, education, and accountability."
For more on how kids can stay safe in the AI era, check out Common Sense Media resources for families and educators.
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and trusted voice they need to thrive in the age of AI. Through our Youth AI Safety Institute, media ratings, advocacy campaigns, and Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum, we protect and prepare kids, reaching 150 million families and more than 90K schools worldwide. Learn more: about.commonsensemedia.org