Senate Panel Unanimously Advances Bill Barring Minors from AI Chatbots

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would prohibit children under 18 from using AI companion chatbots and require providers to verify users' ages before granting access.

The legislation, known as the Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act or GUARD Act, was sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., with 18 cosponsors from both parties, including the committee's ranking member, Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill. The committee approved it in a 22-0 vote during a markup session. The bill defines AI companions broadly as systems that generate responses not fully predetermined by developers, such as chatbots used for conversation or advice.

Under the GUARD Act, providers must implement age verification using government-issued identification, biometrics, or other commercially reasonable methods, with ongoing checks required. Chatbots would need to disclose at the start of each conversation and every 30 minutes that they are not human and lack professional credentials, such as those of therapists or lawyers. The measure makes it illegal for chatbots to solicit or produce sexual content involving minors or to encourage...