Public Citizen Unveils New Tracker for State Legislation Regulating Chatbots
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Public Citizen launched a new, interactive tracker monitoring state-level efforts to regulate generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and companion products.
The tracker identifies legislative proposals introduced, passed, and enacted across states to protect minors from potential AI chatbot harms. So far, 3 states have enacted protections, and 27 states have legislation currently pending.
“An alarmingly high percentage of children and teens are regularly interacting with AI chatbots, raising significant concerns about mental and social wellbeing, sexual exploitation, and other harms,” said Ilana Beller, organizing manager at Public Citizen. “Lawmakers at the state level are taking notice and introducing critical protections — but the clock is ticking. Big Tech companies are rapidly developing and pushing out this technology without safeguards, and the user base of vulnerable minors is growing by the day. Common sense protections cannot come soon enough.”
To assist policymakers, Public Citizen has developed model language that state legislators can use as a template to draft their own bills. Public Citizen also published a report on the dangers of AI companion chatbots earlier this year, Counterfeit Companionship: Big Tech’s AI Experiments Sacrifice Safety for Profit.
The tracker and corresponding map will be updated frequently as bills progress.