Macron defends EU AI rules, calls for child protections

During France’s presidency of the G7, Macron spoke at the AI Impact summit in Delhi, defending Europe’s AI regulations.

He responded to US criticism of the EU’s AI rules, citing concerns over child exploitation and AI power concentration.

Macron highlighted plans to restrict social media access for under-15s in France to protect children online.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that no child should be a test subject for unregulated AI.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood with AI CEOs, though some declined to hold hands, showing tensions.

Modi stressed AI safety for children and called for content authenticity standards.

US AI adviser Sriram Krishnan criticized the EU’s AI Act, while Macron said Europe balances regulation with innovation.

🔗 Source: The Guardian

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

France’s plan to ban social media for under-15s has passed the National Assembly, and it fits a broader pattern rather than standing alone 1.
Australia rolled out a ban for under-16s on December 10, 2025 2. After the change, platforms cut off about 4.7 million accounts tagged as children’s accounts, according to officials 1.
Other governments are moving in the same direction. Several EU member states plus many US states are rolling out or weighing bans, parental consent rules, or age verification systems 2.
That wider push sits behind Macron’s choice to put children’s protection from AI and digital-related abuse near the top of France’s G7 presidency agenda 3.

The summit frames a global “battle of AI stacks” between the US, China, and the EU 4. The AI stack is the full set of chips, cloud infrastructure, software, plus rules that run AI systems.
India is using the meeting to pitch itself as a “third path” for the Global South 4. The goal is to act as a rule-maker in the digital age.
India’s electronics and information technology minister described a plan that seeks as much as $200 billion in data center investment over the next few years 5.
Over time, AI is moving beyond a tech market into a contest among national interests. That shift shapes supply chains, data governance, plus market access for businesses.