Prince Harry Warns AI Is the 'Ultimate Sycophant' as Father Before Teleprompter Glitch Cuts Speech Short

Prince Harry has warned that artificial intelligence could pose new risks to children by forming emotional relationships with users, describing AI as the 'ultimate sycophant' during an address at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

The Duke of Sussex said AI was moving beyond social media's ability to capture attention and could increasingly become something children confide in, rely on for reassurance and believe understands them. Speaking as a father, he called for greater safeguards and warned against waiting years to understand the consequences.

His speech was interrupted by a teleprompter failure on Wednesday, 23 September. Harry had been warning that society did not have years to understand the consequences of AI when the screen stopped working, prompting him to pause before putting down his microphone and leaving the stage. He returned about 40 minutes later to complete his remarks.

Harry Warns AI Could Enter Children's Relationships

Harry argued that AI presented a different challenge from traditional social media because of its potential role in personal relationships. He said technology had already learned to capture attention and was now moving towards becoming something children could confide in, something that remembers their experiences and something they turn to for reassurance.

He warned that this could create a deeper form of attachment between children and technology and argued that society should not wait another decade to understand the effects.

Speaking as a father, Harry also referred to conversations with parents whose children had suffered serious harm linked to technology. He said technological innovation should not require society to accept risks to children's lives and called for a slowdown in AI development, with greater emphasis on trust, safety and accountability.

Teleprompter Failure Interrupts Speech

Harry's appearance formed part of the CGI meeting's first mainstage session, titled 'Getting Disruption Right', which focused on technology, ethics and responsibility.

Before the teleprompter stopped working, Harry discussed the response to online harms and legal action involving technology companies. He pointed to lawsuits involving AI companion chatbots and teenagers, while arguing that governments and technology companies had taken too long to address problems associated with social media.

Images of young people who had died by suicide or suffered serious harm linked to social media appeared behind him. The imagery connected his remarks to the Parents' Network, a support initiative launched by Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell organisation in 2024 for families affected by online harm.

After the teleprompter failure, Harry returned to the stage following a speech by Hillary Clinton and joked that AI had effectively interrupted his presentation. A spokesman for the Duke later confirmed that the disruption was caused by a teleprompter fault.

Harry Calls For Greater AI Accountability

After returning, Harry continued arguing that lessons from the social media era should shape the development of AI. He called for greater transparency, safety standards and accountability, saying technology companies should be responsible for the effects of the systems they develop.

His remarks also highlighted legal action against technology companies, which he presented as evidence that pressure could produce greater accountability for harms affecting children.

The appearance was Harry's first public engagement in the US since he and Meghan moved their family back to the UK in August. He had already made public appearances in Britain, including the Invictus Spirit Awards in London on 17 September.