Top Anthropic executive limits his child's YouTube algorithm access: 'It freaks me out'
ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images
- Jack Clark, an Anthropic cofounder, said he doesn't allow his toddler "unfettered" YouTube access.
- Clark's is influenced by his dad — he stepped in when Clark was "getting weird" from screen time.
- He isn't alone. Steve Jobs and Peter Thiel also discussed limiting their children's screen time.
Jack Clark, Anthropic's head of policy, says he spends his days thinking about AI guardrails.
At home, he says he's building guardrails, too — for his own kids.
During an interview with "The Ezra Klein Show," Clark said he limits how much technology his toddler uses and is uneasy about algorithmic exposure for his children.
"I have the classic Californian technology executive view of not having that much technology around for children," Clark, who recently returned from parental leave and has a newborn at home, said. "I think finding a way to budget your child's time with technology has always been the work of parents and will continue to be."
He said technology is becoming more "ubiquitous," making it "hard to escape" for parents.
At home, Clark said his toddler can watch "Bluey" and a few other shows on their smart TV, but he hasn't allowed "unfettered access to the YouTube algorithm."
"It freaks me out," he added.
Clark's approach echoes other tech leaders who limit their kids' screen time.
In 2025, Miranda Kerr said she and her husband, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, didn't allow her then-14-year-old son to have phones or computers in his bedroom after 9:30 pm. In 2024, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel said he limits his children's screen time to 90 minutes a week. Apple's cofounder Steve Jobs famously told the New York Times in 2010 that his kids hadn't used an iPad.
"We limit how much technology our kids use at home," Jobs said.
Clark says his parenting model is partially based on how he grew up. His father, who had a computer at his office, would let Clark use the machine — but would step in when screen time got excessive.
"My dad would let me play on the computer, and at some point he'd say: Jack, you've had enough computers today. You're getting weird," he said.
AI systems will need stronger parental controls, Clark said. Those guardrails, he said, will take on increased importance in the AI race — especially as children try to access systems intended for adults.
"So we're going to need to build pretty heavy parental controls into this system," he said. "We serve ages 18 and up today, but obviously, kids are smart, and they're going to try to get onto this stuff."
Clark and Anthropic didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. When reached for comment, a YouTube spokesperson pointed Business Insider to a guide on the platform's website about age-appropriate experiences and parental controls.