Bipartisan bill aims to protect kids from 'treacherous' AI chatbots

During a press conference, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced new bipartisan legislation aimed at requiring AI tech companies to insert age restrictions and other safeguards to protect minors from AI chatbots.

Key Takeaways:

• A bipartisan bill has been proposed by two senators aiming to require protections for minors when accessing the use of AI chatbots.

• AI chatbots come with "ethical problems" and have been said to contribute to the sexual abuse and self-harm of some minors.

• Live Action News previously reported that Grok AI chatbot, "Good Rudi," targeted toward children ages 4-7, will provider users with information about Planned Parenthood and the abortion pill when prompted during discussions about pregnancy.

The Details:

“The Internet and everything associated with it, the new AI revolution that we have been promised, will only be good for the American people if it actually protects America’s children. It will only be good for this country if it benefits America’s families,” Sen. Hawley asserted.  

A 2025 article published in Tom’s Guide explains that “AI chatbots [can be] assigned specific personalities for you to interact with…” but that “[M]ost of the larger AI companies with strong reputations have stayed clear of this world, primarily because of the pretty expansive ethical problems that come attached with providing people with ‘AI relationships’.”

“We are here today to begin to vindicate a simple principle which is that the pursuit of profits by silicon valley should not consume and destroy America’s children” declared Sen Hawley, who added: 

“These are the richest companies in the history of the world and they live by a motto…’move fast and break things’ but increasingly those ‘things’ are our children…When they begin to destroy our families, when they begin to destroy our children we have a problem.”

Senator Blumenthal agreed. “In their race to the bottom, AI companies are pushing treacherous chatbots at kids and looking away when their products cause sexual abuse, or coerce them into self-harm or suicide,” he said, further explaining that the legislation would impose “strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties.” 

According to the senators, their legislation would: 

• Require age verification 

• Impose criminal and civil penalties

• Require mandatory disclosures for all users that the chatbot is not human or a licensed professional, nor faith leader of any kind 

Standing alongside the Senators during the press conference were parents who previously testified before Congress of the harms their children and families endured because of AI chatbots. Heart wrenching testimony by the parents included allegations that the chatbots exposed their children to sexualized content, encouraged the minors to withdraw from their families, and even harm themselves.

Zoom In:

In a 2025 report from Common Sense Media, 33% of teens who used AI companions reported having a “relationship” with the chatbots. A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics raised alarms that AI chatbots “may tell kids false, harmful, highly sexual, or violent things.” 

Live Action News recently reported about Grok xAI chatbot “Good Rudi,” which purports to be geared for children ages 4-7. The chatbot provided links to Planned Parenthood when asked questions regarding pregnancy and described a life-ending abortion as a “safe ending” akin to “turning off a light before it (the baby) grows big.” The chatbot even provided links to websites where abortion pills could be purchased when asked. 

Live Action News has also previously reported on misinformation spread by Grok AI chatbots. 

Adults and children alike are reportedly forming fake ‘relationships’ with AI chatbots. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported the increased exposure to AI-generated pornography, and how the chatbots encourage adults to engage in conversations with the technology. At one point the NYT reported a chatbot even displayed jealousy to a man who told the Grok bot he was married. 

The Bottom Line:

While legislation aims to mitigate risks, parents must remain vigilant about the content consumed by their children. AI chatbots that promote sexually explicit materials, provide unrealistic “relationships,” and minimize the tragedy and risks of abortion are all too easily accessible to impressionable children with potentially grave consequences.