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Pennsylvania Senate Passes AI Chatbot Protections for Children
Senate Bill 1090 passed 49-1 to require AI chatbots to disclose nonhuman status and include safeguards against self-harm and explicit content for minors, enforced by the state Attorney General.
- In Harrisburg, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1090, known as SAFECHAT, in a 49-1 vote, sending it to the Pennsylvania House.
- Citing rising incidents, sponsors pointed to children increasingly turning to AI chatbots for emotional support and the Shamblin lawsuit against OpenAI as key concerns.
- The bill requires that when operators know a user is a minor, chatbots must disclose they are not human, remind every three hours, and suggest breaks, with enforcement by the Attorney General and civil penalties up to $10,000.
- Now the measure moves to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and would need Gov. Josh Shapiro's signature before the current two-year session ends Nov. 30.
- By carving out exemptions, the bill excludes commercial and gameplay AI features and does not explicitly require age verification, while the vote follows President Donald Trump's Dec. 11 executive order, allowing federal lawsuits but exempting child-protection laws.
12 Articles
12 Articles
PA Senate passes bill reinforcing online protections against A.I. chatbots
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Senate Bill 1090, "Protecting Children from Harmful AI Chat Interactions", passed the state senate on Tuesday in a 49-1 vote. The bill would establish age restrictions and strengthen safeguards regarding A.I. chatbot products. Some of the safeguards include requiring AI companies to issue clear notices of "nonhuman status" that would protect [...]
Pennsylvania Capital-Star
WFMZPa. Senate passes bill regulating AI chatbots used by children and teens
A young woman asks AI companion ChatGPT for help this month in New York City. States are pushing to prevent the use of artificially intelligent chatbots in mental health to try to protect vulnerable users. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/Stateline)As unregulated artificial intelligence chatbots gain popularity and raise concerns about safety, state senators nearly unanimously passed a bill Tuesday aimed at regulating so-called AI companion services. …
Baker: Measure to Protect Children from Harmful AI Chats Approved by Senate - Senator Baker
HARRISBURG – The Senate approved legislation to establish commonsense safeguards for children interacting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) said. Senate Bill 1090, the Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Chatbots and Harmful AI Technology (SAFECHAT) Act, would require robust, age-appropriate safeguards to prevent content generation that encourages self-harm, suicide or violence against others, and directs …
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