The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously endorsed the bipartisan GUARD Act to regulate artificial intelligence chatbots.
The legislation requires AI companies, including OpenAI and Meta Platforms, to implement age verification systems for users under 18. Developers must use government-issued IDs or other reliable methods to verify user ages before granting access to AI companion services.
The bill establishes criminal penalties for developers who knowingly allow chatbots to solicit sexual content from minors. Additional provisions criminalize the encouragement of self-harm by AI chatbots.
Lawmakers introduced the measure following parental testimony regarding the impact of AI chatbots on youth mental health.