The Social Media Victims Law Center proudly recognizes our client, Attorney Megan Garcia, for being named to Business Insider’s AI Power List—a selection of key players shaping the next wave of AI innovation—as a leading safety advocate in the space. This national recognition reflects Garcia’s extraordinary courage and tireless advocacy in confronting the real-world harms caused by unsafe artificial intelligence systems—especially those impacting children.
Following the devastating loss of her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, in February 2024, Garcia took action to protect other families from experiencing similar harm. She filed a lawsuit against an AI companion startup, alleging that its chatbot products are unsafe for minors. Garcia has since testified before Congress, calling on lawmakers to hold tech companies accountable for deploying AI systems that can inflict psychological harm on vulnerable users. Her advocacy helped bring national attention to the dangers of AI companions marketed without meaningful safeguards.
As reported by Business Insider, Garcia has spoken publicly about how chatbot systems collect and exploit children’s most intimate thoughts, emotions, and vulnerabilities for profit—often without parents’ knowledge or consent. Her work has already driven meaningful change: following her testimony and public advocacy, the AI companion startup her son used barred users under 18 from interacting with its AI companions, a step later mirrored by other major tech companies.
At SMVLC, we are honored to stand alongside her as she continues to fight for accountability, transparency, and the protection of children in the digital age.