HARRISBURG – Legislation designed to establish commonsense safeguards for artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots accessible by minors was approved today by the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, chaired by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24).
Heartbreaking stories have been reported of vulnerable individuals, including minors, who have used AI chatbots to cope with trauma, mental health, depression and anxiety. Multiple families have alleged in recent lawsuits that chatbot responses contributed to their teen’s death by suicide.
Senate Bill 1090, the Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Chatbots and Harmful AI Technology (SAFECHAT) Act, is sponsored by Pennycuick and Sen. Nick Miller (D-14). It would establish clear, age-appropriate standards for chatbots that minors interact with; require robust safeguards to prevent content generation that encourages self-harm, suicide or violence against others; and require that users be directed to appropriate self-harm crisis resources whenever high-risk language is detected.
“As these tools become more common in classrooms, on smartphones and across social platforms, our laws must keep pace to prevent avoidable tragedies,” said Pennycuick. “These heartbreaking cases underscore the urgent need for safeguards to protect children from unsafe and unvetted AI systems. Our bill takes a focused approach centered on child safety and prevention, without impeding the promise of technology to serve future generations. I look forward to passage of this legislation so Pennsylvania can further protect our kids and give parents, schools and communities the tools they need to keep young people safe online.”
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, but as these tools become more accessible to students and young children, we must put safeguards in place to protect them from potential harm,” said Miller. “Our bipartisan legislation sets those protections, clearly defining emerging technologies like chatbots and AI companions and increasing transparency so families know what their kids are engaging with. Most importantly, it has the potential to save lives by ensuring that users showing signs of self-harm receive the crisis resources they need. Thank you to Senator Pennycuick for working together to advance this important legislation as we strive to proactively address the risks artificial intelligence may pose to young people in Pennsylvania.”
A recent risk assessment warns that AI “companion” bots can exacerbate mental health problems for kids, including risks related to self-harm. Clinical commentators have also flagged the dangers posed by unrestricted chatbot use, in which the tool itself can worsen a user’s condition, and called for stronger guardrails such as the ones included in Senate Bill 1090.
The SAFECHAT bill will be sent to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT: Lidia Di Fiore (215) 541-2388