U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is advocating for a ban on AI companions for children.
The Democrat has introduced the GUARD Act with Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Katie Britt of Alabama, and fellow Democrats Mark Warner of Virginia and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
The bipartisan bill would impose criminal and civil penalties for violations, Blumenthal said in Hartford on Monday.
“AI chatbots for children would be prohibited,” he said.
The bill would also create new crimes for companies that make AI chatbots that solicit or produce sexual content that’s available to minors.
And companies would be required to verify the age of users.
“Second, it would mandate that AI chatbots disclose to everyone that they are not human. A lot of people feel there must be a human behind the voice, but in fact, there is no human being,” Blumenthal said.
About 70% of teens use tools like ChatGPT and Character. AI, and Snapchat’s My AI that mimics real conversations, according to a study by the American Psychological Association.
The study also finds evidence that some chatbots are used for companionship.
