Rahul Somvanshi
Prince Harry appeared at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York on September 23, where he spoke about risks posed by AI chatbots and technology platforms to children. The appearance came shortly after reports that his family had relocated from California back to the United Kingdom.
Harry's presence in New York drew attention partly because of the timing — the appearance at CGI was a scheduled public engagement, not a permanent return to the US. His family's recent UK move had prompted questions about his public schedule in America.
At the Clinton Global Initiative, Harry focused on children's exposure to AI companions and chatbots, describing the technology as posing specific risks to younger users. He cited Australia's restrictions on social media for users under 16 as a policy approach he found worth attention. Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, passed in late 2024 and effective from December 10, 2025, restricts platforms from allowing Australians under 16 to hold accounts. Harry pointed to it as a model for other governments to consider.
What Harry Actually Said About AI
His remarks focused on the possibility that children could form emotionally significant relationships with AI systems — chatbots and companion apps designed to engage users conversationally. He described AI as the "ultimate sycophant," designed to "find you, hook you, exploit you."
This connects to a wider policy conversation about whether AI companions represent a new category of risk, distinct from social media, because of the nature of the interaction rather than just the content.
For background on how different countries are approaching AI regulation and children's online safety, the regulatory landscape is still forming.
Harry's teleprompter malfunctioned about seven minutes into his speech. He was welcomed back to the stage roughly 40 minutes later, after other presentations had run, to deliver the rest of his remarks.
His remarks about Australia's social media restrictions place him alongside advocates who see age-based platform restrictions as a workable near-term policy. Australia's law has been watched as a test case for similar legislation being considered in the UK and the US.
For anyone tracking the under-16 social media ban in Australia and how it's been implemented, Harry's public endorsement adds to the international attention that policy has received.
Why was Prince Harry in the US after moving to the UK?
Harry returned to the US for a Clinton Global Initiative appearance in New York on September 23, a scheduled public engagement focused on AI risks to children. The appearance is not a reversal of his family's reported relocation back to the UK.
