Prince Harry was cut off mid-speech by a technical failure at a New York forum.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, had returned to the United States just weeks after relocating his family to Britain for what aides called an “extended period.” He appeared Wednesday at the Clinton Global Initiative in Manhattan, where former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their daughter Chelsea host world leaders annually. Harry took the stage to deliver a warning about artificial intelligence and its dangers to children.
“I come to this as a father,” Harry said, the father of Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. “One who has shared countless conversations with other parents as they mourned the loss of their children to recklessly built technology.”
Roughly seven minutes into his remarks, the address was abruptly halted by a technical malfunction. Harry was forced to exit the stage and wait approximately 40 minutes before he could resume.
“Hello again,” Harry joked upon his return. “So AI got into my speech, so I was asked to come out and finish it. Interesting to see what it was so concerned about in part two.”
The prince did not soften his message after the interruption. He accused tech giants of a deliberate strategy to “find you, hook you, exploit you, break and then blame you.” He argued that while social media had learned to capture attention, artificial intelligence represents a more intimate threat.
“Social media learned how to capture our attention. AI is learning how to enter our relationships,” Harry continued. “It doesn’t just want your attention; it wants your attachment. It wants to be the thing you confide in.”
Harry branded AI as the “ultimate sycophant,” and warned that technology is advancing faster than researchers can keep up.
The appearance marked Harry’s quick return to American soil after he and Meghan Markle moved back to the United Kingdom in August. The couple, who spent six years in California following their departure from working royal life, are now residing outside London. They are not returning as working royals.
Harry has made protecting young people from technology a recurring cause. He also spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2024, warning about what he called “dangerously powerful” social media conglomerates.
“And as a father, I will remind you of the faces that accompanied me the last time I stood before you,” Harry said while showing images of children. “Hundreds have become thousands. Thousands of parents grieving their children. Millions of families are living with the consequences of a digital revolution that moved faster than our willingness to protect them.”
The Sussexes’ American ventures as Netflix producers and book authors had drawn mixed results during their time in Montecito.
Harry is scheduled to continue his advocacy work with additional appearances in New York City through the week.