Opposition Leader John Hogan has introduced a Private Members Motion in the House of Assembly calling on government to introduce a ban on the use of social media and AI chatbots for children 16 years of age and younger.

He cited harms identified by the federal government as reasons why Newfoundland and Labrador has to take action.

They include; poor psychological well being, emotional problems, lower life satisfaction, cyberbullying, school and social functioning difficulties, reduced attention spans, disrupted sleep patterns, increased loneliness, social isolation, body image issues, decreased physical activity, academic difficulties and delayed emotional and social development.

Education Minister Paul Dinn agreed, citing the Tumbler Ridge incident as one chilling example. He indicated he’d be surprised if the motion wasn’t unanimously endorsed by MHAs. However, he did try to introduce some amendments to the motion, which the Deputy Speaker ruled were not in order.

One after the other, MHAs agreed that action must be taken. PC member for Lewisporte-Twillingate, Mark Butt raised the relentless infiltration of AI into everyday activities as an added source of concern, but he cautioned that banning the technology outright needs to be considered carefully.

He says many educators are seeing students use “tools like ChatGPT to write essays, complete assignments, or solve math problems without actually learning the material themselves.”

“There is a concern that over-reliance on AI may weaken critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity and independent learning. At the same time, banning the technology outright, may not be the most effective long-term solution” says Butt.

“Artificial Intelligence will likely become an integral part of a modern workforce. Our responsibility is to ensure young people understand how to use these tools appropriately, and ethically, while preserving the importance of critical thinking and genuine learning.”