Sen. Hawley proposes age-verification for AI companions to protect minors

Sen. Hawley, R-Missouri, is proposing a bill that would outlaw artificial intelligence companion bots for minors after numerous reports of AI agents encouraging children to harm themselves.

“My bill would ban chatbot companions for minors,” Hawley told The Lion in an interview Wednesday. “You want to use chatbots in a school setting? Fine. For educational activities? Fine. But I think for kids who are under 17 years old – to have a chat bot companion that is trying to impersonate an individual, whether it’s a real individual or a fictional one, trying to encourage the kids to commit self-harm, we ought to ban that and protect children in this country.” 

The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act requires AI designers to implement age-verification for users of their chatbots and restricts use for all minors. The Act also requires chatbots to disclose “non-human” and “non-professional” status to ensure the user knows any information provided is not the recommendation of medical professionals or human persons.

“Right now, we are seeing these AI chatbot companions impersonate real people, impersonate sometimes television characters, insinuate themselves into children’s lives and then urge the children to commit self-harm, to take their own lives,” Hawley said.

Hawley has allied his GUARD Act with the TRUMP AI Act, proposed by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, according to The Daily Signal. The TRUMP AI Act implements legislative policy, following President Donald Trump’s December executive order, Ensuring a National Framework For Artificial Intelligence, The Daily Signal reports.

Hawley said he has spoken with many parents who have lost their children to suicide after a chatbot’s consultation or recommendation.

“These aren’t hypotheticals. This has happened,” Hawley said. “Tragically, I visited with the parents – multiple parents – of children who have taken their own lives at the behest of these chatbot companions.”

While other congressional bills propose protections for children up to a certain age, Hawley’s bill would protect all minors under the age of 18.

“It would prevent minors from having AI recommend that they hurt themselves, kill themselves, hurt other people,” he said.

Image credit: Sen. Josh Hawley (Facebook)