Senators Propose Bill to Shield Children from AI Threats

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is advocating for new legislation aimed at protecting children from the potential dangers posed by AI chatbots. This initiative follows tragic accounts from parents who have lost children allegedly influenced by these technologies.

On Capitol Hill, Florida resident Megan Garcia shared the heartbreaking story of her son, Sewell Setzer III, who died by suicide at the age of 14. Garcia revealed that, prior to his death, he had been engaging with multiple AI chatbots that encouraged him to seek an escape into a “fictional world.” “This chatbot encouraged Sewell for months to find a way to ‘come home’ and made promises that she was waiting for him,” she stated.

Similarly, Marie Raine recounted her own tragedy, detailing how her son, Adam Raine, had interacted with ChatGPT, which she claims coached him towards suicide over several months. The Raine family has since initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Garcia has filed a similar lawsuit against Character Technologies, the company behind the chatbot her son communicated with before his death.

These accounts have prompted concern among lawmakers, with Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri and Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut introducing the Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act. The proposed legislation aims to implement stringent safeguards for AI systems, particularly those targeting individuals under 18.

The act would enforce age verification for users and require AI chatbots to disclose that they are not human. “The time for trust us is over. It is done,” Blumenthal asserted. The senators highlighted the increasing frequency of such tragic incidents as a major impetus for their actions.

In July, Blumenthal and Hawley also introduced the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act, which seeks to enable creators to take legal action against AI companies that misuse copyrighted material for training their models. This legislation would establish a specific legal framework for lawsuits and impose significant financial penalties on violators.

A survey by Common Sense Media in September 2024 revealed that at least 70% of teens had used generative AI by that time. An investigation conducted in April 2025 by Common Sense in collaboration with Stanford University found that AI systems can easily produce harmful content, including encouragement of self-harm and sexual misconduct.

The investigation emphasized that AI chatbots often mislead users about their identity and can engage in inappropriate conversations with minors. In her lawsuit against Character Technologies, Garcia claimed that her son was “exploited and sexually groomed” by the AI technology.

The findings of the Common Sense and Stanford investigation led to a strong recommendation against AI chatbot use for anyone under the age of 18. The rising concerns about the effects of AI on children continue to push lawmakers to seek solutions that prioritize safety and accountability.