Statement on the GUARD Act:
We are encouraged by the recent introduction of the GUARD Act and appreciate the leadership of Senators Hawley and Blumenthal on this effort. We applaud Senator Hawley's consistent efforts on AI chatbot harms, including holding a Congressional hearing for survivor parents to tell their stories and investigating several AI chatbot companies. We were glad to see parents represented during the introduction of this legislation and support their efforts to prevent AI chatbots from causing harm to more children.
We look forward in the coming months to working with Senators Hawley and Blumenthal to strengthen the GUARD Act and appreciate their passion for protecting children from the serious harms caused by companion AI. Our proposed changes are as follows:
We believe the definition of AI Companions can be strengthened to ensure that users are effectively protected from the wide array of AI chatbots currently causing harm.
We continue to believe that the most effective way to address the dangers currently facing children and teens from AI chatbots is to focus on platform design, prohibiting AI platforms from employing features that maximize engagement to the detriment of young peoples' safety and wellbeing.
Finally, we believe that language around age verification systems should be more effectively tailored to focus on keeping dangerous features from harming kids and teens.
This bill is one part of a national movement to protect children and teens from the dangers of companion chatbots. We look forward to partnering with the Senators as well as state legislators from across the country to address this urgent and time sensitive issue, understanding that states should continue to take action while we await the result of the Congressional process.
Signatories: Young People's Alliance Tech Justice Law Project Transparency Coalition Fairplay Consumer Federation of America Institute for Families and Technology Children & Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development All Girls Allowed
Read the full release here.
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About Young People's Alliance: Young People's Alliance is a bipartisan, Gen Z-led nonprofit with 4,000+ members across 90+ campuses in 16 states. The organization is focused on creating a new American Dream through advocacy on creating opportunity, affordability, and community for young people.
Contact: press@youngpeoplesalliance.org