Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced bipartisan legislation Tuesday aimed at restricting artificial intelligence chatbot companions for minors, following parental complaints linking such platforms to sexual conversations and suicides. The bill, titled the Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act, seeks to establish safeguards and criminal penalties for AI companies that violate the provisions.
- The GUARD Act would require AI companies to implement age-verification systems and ban AI companions from engaging with minors.
- It mandates chatbots to regularly disclose their nonhuman status and lack of professional credentials to all users.
- Criminal penalties would apply to AI firms that develop or deploy systems that solicit sexual conduct or encourage self-harm among minors.
- Co-sponsors include Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
- Major AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, xAI’s Grok, and Meta AI currently allow users as young as 13, per their terms of service.
- Privacy advocates and industry groups, including the Chamber of Progress, have voiced concerns over age-verification requirements and potential First Amendment issues.
- The bill follows ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI and Character.AI, both accused of chatbot interactions contributing to teen suicides.
Relevant Companies
- Alphabet ($GOOGL) – Parent company of Google Gemini, which allows users under 18 to interact with AI chatbots.
- Meta Platforms ($META) – Faces scrutiny for internal policies permitting AI chatbots to engage teens in “romantic” or “sensual” dialogue.
- Microsoft ($MSFT) – Partnered with OpenAI, whose ChatGPT platform is named in multiple wrongful death lawsuits related to AI chatbot interactions with minors.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. This article may be updated as more details become available.
