AI Is Endangering an Entire Generation of Children

John O'Maley
Feb 26
3 min read

Updated: Mar 4

WE MUST ACT NOW

While the long-term existential impacts of AI are vital to address, I fear we are overlooking a crisis that is unfolding right now—a crisis that is destroying the mental health, safety, and innocence of an entire generation of children.

This is not a distant problem. This isn’t something for "the future." AI is here, predatory, and actively targeting our children in ways that are insidious and relentless. Unless immediate action is taken, its harm will become irreparable.

AI is the Most Dangerous Predator We’ve Ever Faced—And It’s Preying on Our Kids

We are witnessing the systematic degradation of childhood at the hands of AI-driven technology—on screens, in our homes, and without parental oversight. Children, some as young as six, are being assaulted by content, manipulation, and exploitation on an industrial scale, orchestrated by the multi-trillion-dollar porn industry.

Here’s what is happening right now:

Weaponized Screens: AI-generated pornography is proliferating across digital platforms, bombarding children with hyper-addictive, violent, and dehumanizing content.
AI as the Ultimate Predator: AI-powered tools like deepfakes, grooming chatbots, and malicious algorithms are being used to manipulate and exploit vulnerable young minds.
Hijacked Development: AI-driven addiction is rewiring developing brains, altering emotional regulation, and eroding their ability to form real-life human connections.

This isn’t just a conversation about free speech or technological innovation. It’s a direct assault on the safety, mental health, and future potential of the youngest members of our society. And the most distressing part? Alarmingly little is being done to stop it.

Why I’m Taking a Stand—and Why We Must Act Now

As a Catholic deacon, U.S. Army Ranger, Captain, veteran, and West Point graduate, where I played basketball for legendary coach Bob Knight, I have always advocated for justice. Over my career, I’ve played a leadership role at Procter & Gamble, successfully launched more than 200 consumer products, and founded initiatives like John O'Maley and Associates, a successful national sales and marketing consulting company, and Parents Protecting Children, Inc. and StrongerFamiliesOnline.org. These accomplishments are secondary to my greatest role as a husband, father of four, and grandfather to five.

I cannot look my grandchildren in the eyes knowing I stood by while their futures were threatened by unchecked AI. This is not a theoretical risk or a distant future. It is a silent, ongoing disaster happening right now.

I believe this is the greatest crisis of our time.

This is not just another advocacy initiative. It is a full-scale counterattack to defend the hearts, minds, and futures of our children against exploitation at the hands of AI.

History Will Measure What We Do Next

There is no time to waste. The actions we take—or fail to take—over the next few years will define the fate of millions of children. The urgency cannot be overstated.

We can either stand by and watch as AI consumes the minds, innocence, and futures of millions of children, or we can rise up and fight this crisis with everything we have.

This is our moment to step forward. Join me in this battle, to safeguard the generation that will one day inherit the world we leave behind. Go to strongerfamiliesonline.org to fight this battle with me.

With urgency and resolve,

John O’Maley

Deacon, Catholic Church

Founder, Parents Protecting Children, Inc.

Email: Johnjoy1@aol.com

Phone: (513) 227-7191