The PA Senate nearly unanimously voted to move a bill on to the state house that contains protections for children using Artificial Intelligence.
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 or violence against others, and directs users to appropriate self-harm crisis resources whenever high-risk language is detected. Senate Communications and Technology Committee Chairperson Tracy Pennycuick said that as AI tools become more prevalent in classrooms and schoolwork, laws have to keep pace in order to prevent tragedies.
A recent risk assessment warns that AI “companion” bots can exacerbate mental health problems for kids, including risks related to self-harm. Clinical commentators have also flagged the dangers posed by unrestricted use of chatbots, where the tool itself can worsen a user’s condition, and called for stronger guardrails such as the ones included in Senate Bill 1090.
Senator Joe Pittman joined 48 other senators in voting in favor of the bill. Only one voted against it.
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