Ellman spearheads crucial AI companion safety bill to protect youth and vulnerable users
Ellman spearheads crucial AI companion safety bill to protect youth and vulnerable users
Publish Date: 2026-05-21 15:43:00
Source Domain: www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com
SPRINGFIELD – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14 and 25-34 in the United States, underscoring growing concerns about the role online platforms and AI systems can play in vulnerable users’ mental health crises. To increase protections aimed at preventing self-harm, State Senator Laura Ellman moved legislation to establish safety standards for artificial intelligence companion chatbots, including sexually explicit interactions with minors.
“For many users, especially children and teens, these systems can feel deeply personal and emotionally real,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “People deserve transparency about when they are interacting with AI, and parents deserve reassurance that companies are taking reasonable steps to protect minors from harmful or sexually explicit content.”
Under the proposed measure, AI companion operators would be required to maintain protocols to detect suicidal ideation and expressions of self-harm. Upon detecting concerning language, operators would need to direct users to crisis resources such as the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and implement reasonable safeguards to prevent chatbots from generating or encouraging self-harm content.
Senate Bill 316 would create the Artificial Intelligence Companion Model Safety Act, establishing requirements for operators of AI companion chatbots designed for social or emotional interaction, while exempting customer service and internal business chatbots.
The legislation would also require operators to clearly disclose to users, at the beginning of interactions and at least every three hours during ongoing conversations, that they are communicating with an automated system and not a human being.
Senate Bill 316 would include additional protections for minors by requiring operators to implement safeguards preventing AI companions directed toward minors from generating sexually…
