Video: Blumenthal-Authored Bipartisan Bill Protecting Children from AI Chatbots Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) to protect children from AI chatbots. This legislation would ban AI companions for minors, mandate AI chatbots disclose their non-human status, and create new crimes for companies who make sexually explicit AI chatbots, or AI chatbots that coerce young people to take their own lives or commit other kinds of violence. “We’ve learned a lesson we can’t rely on social media to regulate itself, “trust us, trust us,” I’m done with “trust us,” We can’t trust the Big Tech companies or AI enterprises to have a conscience and follow the dictates of that conscience,” said Blumenthal, a member of the Judiciary Committee, at today’s markup. “This issue is a matter of life or death and I want to join in thanking the parents who are here today, but literally many, many others who have demonstrated the kind of leadership and bravery to take some good from the pain that they have suffered.” The GUARD Act would: Ban AI companies from providing AI companions to minors. Mandate that AI companions disclose their non-human status and lack of professional credentials for all users Create new crimes for companies which knowingly or recklessly make available to minors AI chatbots that engage in or erotically describe or simulate sexually explicit conduct or that solicit, induce, or coerce minors to commit suicide or carry out self-injury or other unlawful physical violence. The full video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here and the transcript is copied below. Thank you, Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank Senator Hawley for his leadership as well as others who have cosponsored this measure. Thank you to you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. Senator Hawley and I began working on AI in 2023, because we foresaw some of the problems that have since become so graphic and shocking – and we have continued our work on it in a very bipartisan way, formulating a framework to provide for safety and efficacy and a review of what AI can do, and what can be done to prevent the kind of harms that we see right now. And this legislation has directly resulted from that bipartisan work together including a hearing that we held with those parents who so bravely and strongly came forward; Matthew Raine, Megan Garcia, Mandy Furniss and the countless – literally countless parents and young people who came to us and said, “You must do something,” and as Senator Blackburn and I heard from one such parent, “When are you going to do something to stop young people from dying.” This issue is a matter of life or death and I want to join in thanking the parents who are here today, but literally many, many others who have demonstrated the kind of leadership and bravery to take some good from the pain that they have suffered. Just last week on the lawn in front of the Capitol, a vigil with tens of parents gathered to tell their stories. Just very, very movingly and powerfully. This legislation is not just about rhetoric, it’s about criminal penalties for the kind of abuse where an AI chatbot can enlist the trust and confidence of a young person, seem to become a friend, or provide advice, do all the things that parents now – can cause to take their own life, but also, engage in eating disorders, bullying, all the toxic content that we see on the internet. And we’ve learned a lesson we can’t rely on social media to regulate itself, “trust us, trust us,” I’m done with “trust us,” We can’t trust the Big Tech companies or AI enterprises to have a conscience and follow the dictates of that conscience. And I just want to close, not only by thanking the parents, but just with a note of warning, we are not done yet. This bill is not across the finish line. Senator Hawley and I as well as Senator Blackburn and others who have championed this kind of legislation know that they will be relentless and tireless. Whatever they say publicly – they will be behind the scenes with armies of lawyers and lobbyists trying to fight us – back us down, convince colleagues, mislead and confuse. “First Amendment”, we are going to hear a lot about the First Amendment. Or “free enterprise” and again “trust us.” I urge my colleagues to stand strong, to reach out to others who are not here today and who have not heard these very eloquent remarks from members of this committee, and who may not have talked to these parents. Listen to the people who are affected, listen to the parents and children about what abuses are. And remember nobody is immune. Your children are not immune, your grandchildren are not somehow blanketed with a shield against this stuff. I’m using stuff as a substitute for other language that we could use, but it’s out there, it’s dangerous and nobody is immune from the harms that can result. Again, my thanks to Senator Hawley for his leadership and to parents who are here and many, many others who couldn’t be. Thank you. -30-