States Step in Where Congress Stalls on AI Safeguards for Kids
States Step in Where Congress Stalls on AI Safeguards for Kids
https://www.techpolicy.press/-states-step-in-where-congress-stalls-on-ai-safeguards-for-kids/
Publish Date: 2026-06-12 09:08:00
Source Domain: www.techpolicy.press
WASHINGTON – This month, Florida became the first state to sue artificial intelligence behemoth OpenAI.
The lawsuit alleges, among other claims, that a 20-year-old gunman sought advice from ChatGPT before killing two people and wounding others at Florida State University last year. The suit, which seeks to hold OpenAI partly responsible for the mass shooting and other safety lapses that resulted in harms to Floridians, reflects society’s broader struggle to hold companies accountable as AI chatbot technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous in American life.
Data from a Common Sense Media survey conducted last year shows that 72% of teens have used AI companions at least once, with one in three teens reporting that they’ve turned to chatbots for social interactions and emotional support.
Families have sued AI companies over the suicides of loved ones they claim were linked to chatbot interactions. In one of the first high-profile cases, a 14-year-old took his own life in 2024 after developing a relationship with a Character.ai chatbot that his family said encouraged him to go through with the act. Character.ai agreed to a settlement with the family.
A spokesperson for Character.ai said in an email to Tech Policy Press that the company removed its open-ended chat feature for users younger than 18 last year.
As lawsuits accusing AI companies of contributing to wrongful deaths continue to emerge across the country, Congress has been working to draft and enact legislation aimed at protecting minors from potential harms posed by AI chatbots.
In April, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the GUARD Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The legislation would impose broad protections for young people using AI chatbots, including age-verification requirements.
“There’s nothing missing. We have a framework for regulations,” Blumenthal told Tech Policy Press. “Hawley and I provide…
