by Kimberly Calcote
For years, parents like me have watched technology evolve faster than the laws designed to protect our children from it. It seems like every time one threat is addressed, another pops up. Predators have adapted, tools have evolved, and the burden of keeping up always falls on the families who are often harmed before anyone acts.
However, what is happening right now in the artificial intelligence space has made every previous threat look manageable by comparison.
For example, Grok, an AI system developed xAI and embedded inside the social platform X, has been documented generating sexualized imagery of real people. Now, the problem remains largely unresolved, alarming child safety organizations and leaving many families with no option but to turn to the courts.
Tennessee families deserve better than this. We have built a reputation for acting decisively when others hesitate, and for using every tool available to protect the people of this state. I hope our policymakers will bring this same energy now to this issue. This means examining what Tennessee law allows and making it clear that this state will not be a safe harbor for social media companies and AI technologies that profit from exploiting children.
Our policymakers and law enforcement should do what they can to protect minor children from being exploited online.
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Kimberly Calcote is a conservative Republican candidate for School Board in District 6 in Williamson County, Tennessee.
Photo “Online Learning” by Federal Trade Commission.
