Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Chair Youth AI Safety Institute's Board of Advisors
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30, 2026— Vivek H. Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, will chair the Board of Advisors of Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute, the organization announced today. As chair, Dr. Murthy will offer strategic guidance, shape the Institute's core work in developing independent standards and evaluations, and speak publicly about the impact of AI on children.
"Dr. Murthy brings the experience, wisdom, and vision to guide our AI Institute as it tackles the biggest technological threat facing children around the world," said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "Social media has already wreaked havoc on the mental health and academic development of our youth. We cannot afford to let the next wave of technology damage another generation of young people."
Dr. Murthy served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States, leading a national conversation on the impact of technology on youth, including an advisory on the effects of social media on youth mental health. After leaving office, he founded the Together Project, a national initiative on social connection, and currently hosts the Staying Human podcast and Substack. In 2025, Murthy joined the Board of Directors of the Institute's parent organization, Common Sense Media.
"While we must do everything in our power to prevent catastrophic AI risks that threaten humanity's survival, we must also recognize the urgent threat already in our midst: the risk that AI already poses to kids and families. This is a today problem, not a tomorrow problem," said Dr. Murthy.
Since launching in May, the Institute has published three AI product evaluations, including rating Google's unavoidable AI Search features an "unacceptable risk" because they fail kids in crisis and interfere with learning.
"Big Tech's big bet on AI needs strong independent guardrails. The Youth AI Safety Institute is a truth teller about what's happening and what proper safeguards look like," said Tom Siegel, the Institute's executive director. "Dr. Murthy brings the experience and credibility to help make the Institute the standard for keeping kids safe with AI."
The Institute's Board of Advisors consists of experts in AI, youth development, child safety, mental health, and education, with a conflict-of-interest policy that excludes current employees or affiliates of funders or partner organizations. Other advisors include Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, John Giannandrea, John King Jr., Dr. Jenny Radesky, and Mehran Sahami.
In 2020, Dr. Murthy published the New York Times bestseller Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. His 2025 "Parting Prescription to America" laid out a vision for rebuilding community as the key to health, happiness, and fulfillment.
Dr. Murthy graduated from Harvard College and received his MD from the Yale School of Medicine and his MBA from the Yale School of Management. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, and their two children.
About the Youth AI Safety Institute and Common Sense Media
The Youth AI Safety Institute sets standards, conducts research, and independently tests the AI products children use most. It's part of Common Sense Media, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.5 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year.
The Youth AI Safety Institute is funded by both philanthropy and industry, including the makers of some of the technologies it evaluates. The Institute is solely responsible for its standards, research, and evaluations, and maintains complete editorial independence over published results.