AI Chatbot Companions: A Path Forward to Protect Children and Teens
Mary Engle, Executive Vice President, Policy, BBB National Programs
Tragic stories have emerged of teenagers committing suicide after prolonged interactions with AI chatbot companions, seemingly goaded on by the chatbot to take their lives. Parents, policy makers, and lawmakers are sounding the alarm about the risks AI companions pose to kids and teens, including inaccurate and harmful guidance, distorted relationship norms, manipulative engagement tactics, and privacy invasions.
Congress is taking notice. Two bills, the GUARD Act (S.3062) and the CHAT Act (S.2714), have been introduced so far, with a November hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee to examine the risks and benefits of AI chatbots, and a similar hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism in September.
And states are not waiting for Congress to act. Six states have already passed laws regulating AI chatbots, focusing on transparency, mental health claims, and user safety.
At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a study of AI chatbots, requiring seven AI companies to provide information on how they measure, test, and monitor the impacts of AI chatbots on children and teens, as well as how they monetize user engagement.
And while the White House is reportedly preparing an Executive Order that would restrict state AI legislation, it will no doubt be held up in legal challenges.
The tech industry is in the crosshairs. Some AI companies are starting to implement guardrails, such as OpenAI and Google Gemini parental controls or prohibiting users under 18 from engaging in extended conversations, like Character.AI.
But these measures are not enough.
Tech-savvy kids can evade parental controls, create new accounts, or switch apps. Moreover, the issues with manipulation, distorted relationships, and privacy concerns remain.
There is another path forward, one that does not require waiting for a slow-moving and patchwork legislative process or rely on AI companies to police themselves. AI companies can make good on their stated commitment to youth safety and responsible innovation.
Leaders in the AI sector can collaboratively set clear standards and demonstrate accountability through a tested and trusted process.
BBB National Programs, drawing on more than 50 years of experience developing industry self-regulation programs, has initiated an AI Companion Accountability Initiative through its 501(c)(3) foundation, the Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR).
The goal is to explore the creation of workable, effective safeguards for children and teens using AI chatbots and companions.
For decades we have led such efforts across industries. Since 1974, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has been the leading U.S. self-regulatory authority on responsible advertising to children under 13, producing widely-adopted practical guidance for companies navigating emerging technologies in children’s media, including its Children’s Advertising Guidelines, Metaverse Guardrails, and most recently, a Generative AI Risk Matrix.
Building on this history, CISR will bring together stakeholders, including experts in child and adolescent development, to tackle the emerging issues with AI companions and mitigate their risk to children and teens while preserving their benefits.
Join this work.
Tragic stories have emerged of teenagers committing suicide after prolonged interactions with AI chatbot companions, seemingly goaded on by the chatbot to take their lives. Parents, policy makers, and lawmakers are sounding the alarm about the risks AI companions pose to kids and teens, including inaccurate and harmful guidance, distorted relationship norms, manipulative engagement tactics, and privacy invasions.
Congress is taking notice. Two bills, the GUARD Act (S.3062) and the CHAT Act (S.2714), have been introduced so far, with a November hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee to examine the risks and benefits of AI chatbots, and a similar hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism in September.
And states are not waiting for Congress to act. Six states have already passed laws regulating AI chatbots, focusing on transparency, mental health claims, and user safety.
At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a study of AI chatbots, requiring seven AI companies to provide information on how they measure, test, and monitor the impacts of AI chatbots on children and teens, as well as how they monetize user engagement.
And while the White House is reportedly preparing an Executive Order that would restrict state AI legislation, it will no doubt be held up in legal challenges.
The tech industry is in the crosshairs. Some AI companies are starting to implement guardrails, such as OpenAI and Google Gemini parental controls or prohibiting users under 18 from engaging in extended conversations, like Character.AI.
But these measures are not enough.
Tech-savvy kids can evade parental controls, create new accounts, or switch apps. Moreover, the issues with manipulation, distorted relationships, and privacy concerns remain.
There is another path forward, one that does not require waiting for a slow-moving and patchwork legislative process or rely on AI companies to police themselves. AI companies can make good on their stated commitment to youth safety and responsible innovation.
Leaders in the AI sector can collaboratively set clear standards and demonstrate accountability through a tested and trusted process.
BBB National Programs, drawing on more than 50 years of experience developing industry self-regulation programs, has initiated an AI Companion Accountability Initiative through its 501(c)(3) foundation, the Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR).
The goal is to explore the creation of workable, effective safeguards for children and teens using AI chatbots and companions.
For decades we have led such efforts across industries. Since 1974, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has been the leading U.S. self-regulatory authority on responsible advertising to children under 13, producing widely-adopted practical guidance for companies navigating emerging technologies in children’s media, including its Children’s Advertising Guidelines, Metaverse Guardrails, and most recently, a Generative AI Risk Matrix.
Building on this history, CISR will bring together stakeholders, including experts in child and adolescent development, to tackle the emerging issues with AI companions and mitigate their risk to children and teens while preserving their benefits.
Join this work.