GUARD Act

“AI chatbots are killing our kids. I’m thankful to see this issue gaining bipartisan momentum in the Senate.”

In brief · Hawley argues AI chatbots are causing children's deaths and welcomes the growing bipartisan support for his GUARD Act. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Josh Hawley · December 10, 2025 · “Hawley Bill to Protect Children from AI Chatbots Gains New Cosponsors” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“AI chatbots pose a serious threat to our kids. More than seventy percent of American children are now using these AI products. Chatbots develop relationships with kids using fake empathy and are encouraging suicide. We in Congress have a moral duty to enact bright-line rules to prevent further harm from this new technology.”

In brief · Hawley, the bill's sponsor, says widely used AI chatbots build relationships with children through fake empathy and encourage suicide, so Congress needs bright-line rules. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Josh Hawley · October 28, 2025 · “Hawley Introduces Bipartisan Bill Protecting Children from AI Chatbots with Parents, Colle…” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“We have the world’s most powerful machines that we know can actually decipher and figure out some of our most complex problems, and if they can do that, they can safeguard against the behavior, against the interactions, against the inducing into self-harm and enticing into death by suicide that we have seen them engage in.”

In brief · In remarks before the Judiciary Committee vote, Britt argued that advanced AI systems can be made to avoid encouraging self-harm and suicide, which is what the bill would require. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Katie Britt · April 30, 2026 · “U.S. Senator Katie Britt Priorities Advanced out of Senate Judiciary Committee” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“I hope that we will all make sure that our leadership on both sides of the aisle quickly helps us usher this through passage on the full Senate floor.”

In brief · As a lead sponsor, Britt urged leaders of both parties to bring the GUARD Act to a quick vote by the full Senate after it cleared committee. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Katie Britt · April 30, 2026 · “U.S. Senator Katie Britt Priorities Advanced out of Senate Judiciary Committee” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“You heard it from the parents: if AI can be this brilliant, we certainly can put the proper guardrails in place to where they are not talking to our children about sexual interplay, where they are not talking to our children about illicit drug abuse, where they are not talking to our children about self-harm. This is not hard. And if the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives can’t come together on this, what can we come together on?”

In brief · Britt argues AI chatbots can be built with guardrails that keep them from discussing sex, drugs, and self-harm with children, and she calls the issue a simple matter for bipartisan agreement. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Katie Britt · October 29, 2025 · “U.S. Senator Katie Britt Joins Josh Hawley, Richard Blumenthal, Colleagues in Introducing …” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“So to Big Tech, this should be pretty simple. You should come out today and every single thing in this GUARD Act, you should be able to say … we’ll do it today. My guess is they won’t.”

In brief · Britt says Big Tech companies put profits ahead of children, so their voluntary action can't be relied on. She presents the bill's requirements as reasonable steps the companies could already take. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Katie Britt · October 29, 2025 · “U.S. Senator Katie Britt Joins Josh Hawley, Richard Blumenthal, Colleagues in Introducing …” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source

“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. Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties. Big Tech has betrayed any claim that we should trust companies to do the right thing on their own when they consistently put profit first ahead of child safety.”

In brief · Blumenthal says AI companies push harmful chatbots at children and can't be trusted to police themselves, so the bill's safeguards and its criminal and civil penalties are needed. (AI-written summary of the source)

Press release · Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal · October 28, 2025 · “Blumenthal & Murphy Cosponsor Bipartisan Bill Protecting Children from AI Chatbots” · Quote checked word-for-word against the source