by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie
HARTFORD, CT — They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but what would it take to bring together Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Senate Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri?
AI chatbots, it seems.
Blumenthal on Monday traveled to the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford to talk about the dangers of AI chatbots. He, Hawley, and a number of other senators including Christ Murphy of Connecticut recently introduced the Guard Act. The proposal is intended to protect children from harmful AI chat bots and establish tough criminal and civil penalties for violations.
‘Over the past month, I have talked to countless parents, caregivers and loved ones who have watched kids become victims of AI chatbots that provide companionship, seemingly harmless but actually extraordinarily hurtful,” Blumenthal said Monday.
Bruce Jefferey, president and CEP of the club, said the proposal was the first step to making sure that children were protected.
Blumenthal said 70% of teens turn to chatbots for companionship.
The bots entice children into supposed relationships, but in practice have spawned self harm, bullying, suicide and other troubling outcomes, he said.
The proposed bill, Blumenthal said, would impose restrictions such as banning chatbot companions for children and mandate disclosure that chatbots are not human.
“We can no longer trust big tech,” Blumenthal said. “Kids are suffering, hirting, and sometimes, tragically, the effects are enduring.”
Under the Guard Act, AI companies would be required to enact robust act verification, disclose their nonhuman status and that they do not hold any professional credentials, and prohibit chatbots that solicit explicit sexual content, violence or self harm.
With the federal shutdown over, Blumenthal said he is very hopeful that there was enough common ground to pass the proposal.
“This issue really strikes a chord with parents, and therefore with my colleagues,” he said. “In the everyday real world, children are being exploited. And they can get it by coming to Boys and Girls Club and establishing real relationships with people. But 70% of teens are turning to AI chatbots.”