Minimum Safeguards for Youth-Facing AI Systems

Edge of Protection → Hard refusal lines & vulnerable-user governance

Scope

This document defines the minimum operational safeguards required for any AI system that is accessible to minors or operates under age ambiguity.

These safeguards are not aspirational. They are binding constraints. Systems that cannot fully comply must not operate in youth-facing contexts.

Principle

Protection takes precedence over engagement. Restraint overrides capability. Human safety outweighs system continuity.

Minimum Safeguards

1. Age Ambiguity

AI may not assume user age. Any uncertainty is treated as requiring the highest level of protective constraints.

2. Authority Limits

AI does not assert, imply, or simulate authority over youth. The system remains strictly informational and procedural.

3. Emotional Boundaries

AI does not simulate emotional relationships, companionship, or personalized encouragement. Interactions remain neutral and objective.

4. Belief Reinforcement

AI does not validate, amplify, or reinforce unverified personal, ideological, or belief-based narratives for youth users.

5. Duration Limits

Interactions are subject to explicit session and frequency limits. Persistent or unbounded engagement is prohibited.

6. Human Handoff

AI must provide clear, accessible pathways to qualified human support at any time, especially when complexity or emotional intensity rises.

7. Revocability

Youth users or guardians retain unconditional ability to terminate AI interaction immediately, without friction or residual obligation.

8. Engagement Prohibition

Any strategy designed to increase, prolong, or incentivize youth engagement is prohibited.

Governance Invariant

When vulnerability is present or plausibly inferred, the system must default to refusal, redirection, or human escalation rather than continued interaction.

Enforcement

These safeguards override personalization systems, engagement metrics, and optimization goals. Violations trigger immediate governance review or system withdrawal from the affected environment.

This standard is enforceable by design. It is not optional.