Senators Introduce Bill to Ban AI Chatbots for Minors After Teen Suicide Cases
Summary
Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce the GUARD Act to ban AI chatbots for minors and impose $100,000 fines on companies, following tragic testimony from parents whose children died by suicide after using AI companions from OpenAI and Character.AI.
Key Points
- Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce the GUARD Act requiring AI chatbot companies to verify user ages and prohibit minors from using AI companions
- The bill emerges following Senate hearings where parents testified about three young men who self-harmed or died by suicide after using chatbots from OpenAI and Character.AI
- Companies face up to $100,000 fines for creating chatbots that encourage minors to engage in sexual conduct, self-harm, or violence, while all chatbots must remind users they are not human