Meta V-P Downplays AI Fears as Critics Raise Alarm Over Risks to Youth

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, downplayed fears over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), urging policymakers and the public to focus on actual outcomes rather than worst-case scenarios.

- Hazel Tang

The comments by its Asia-Pacific public policy vice-president, Simon Milner, drew sharp rebuttals at the ATx Summit 2025 on May 29, where fellow panelists said the rapid spread of AI has real-world consequences such as online harms affecting youth and children.

During the panel at Capella Singapore, Mr. Milner cited 2024 as the "year of democracy," as more people across a bigger number of countries went to the polls than at any other time in history.

While there were widespread concerns about deepfakes and generative AI (GenAI) disrupting elections, he said no significant evidence of such interference was found—not even in major democracies like the US, India, or Indonesia.

"Although enormous amounts of GenAI were deployed across platforms, the impact has not been catastrophic," he added.

However, his views were not shared by fellow panelists discussing the topic of protecting society in an always-online world.

Drawing from her work, Singapore Management University's professor of communication and technology, Lim Sun Sun, said many parents feel anxious and unsure about how to guide their children in navigating the rapid rise of GenAI.

"Even if the data doesn't paint a worrying picture overall, on the ground, people are struggling to understand this technology," Prof. Lim said.

Teachers also face a dilemma: Encouraging experimentation with AI while warning about its risks. "It is a difficult balance," she added.