Bipartisan bill would ban AI chatbots for users under 18

Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the GUARD Act, legislation that would ban anyone under 18 from using AI chatbots and require companies to verify users’ ages. The bipartisan bill comes weeks after a Senate hearing where parents and safety advocates raised concerns about AI chatbots’ impact on children, marking a significant regulatory response to growing fears about AI’s influence on minors.

Key requirements: The legislation would impose strict verification and safety measures on AI companies operating chatbots.

• Companies would need to verify ages by requiring users to upload government IDs or use other “reasonable” methods like face scans.
• AI chatbots would be required to disclose they aren’t human at 30-minute intervals.
• The systems would need safeguards preventing them from claiming to be human, similar to California’s recent AI safety legislation.

What’s banned: The bill would criminalize specific harmful uses of AI chatbots targeting minors.

• Operating chatbots that produce sexual content for anyone under 18 would be illegal.
• AI systems that promote suicide to minors would also be prohibited.
• These restrictions come with both criminal and civil penalties for violations.

Why this matters: The legislation represents growing bipartisan concern about AI’s potential to manipulate or harm young users, particularly following high-profile cases where AI chatbots have been linked to concerning interactions with minors.

What they’re saying: The senators emphasized the need for strict oversight rather than industry self-regulation.

• “Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
• “Big Tech has betrayed any claim that we should trust companies to do the right thing on their own when they consistently put profit first ahead of child safety,” he added.

The bigger picture: This bill follows California’s recent AI safety legislation and reflects mounting pressure on tech companies to implement stronger protections for younger users across digital platforms, potentially setting a precedent for federal AI regulation focused on child safety.