The post Senators Introduce Bill to Ban AI Companions for Minors Over Mental Health Fears appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. In brief The bill targets AI chatbots and companions marketed to minors. Data has shown widespread teen use of AI for emotional support and relationships. Critics say companies have failed to protect young users from manipulation and harm. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced a bill to restrict how artificial intelligence models can interact with children, warning that AI companions pose serious risks to minors’ mental health and emotional well-being. The legislation, called the GUARD Act, would ban AI companions for minors, require chatbots to clearly identify themselves as non-human, and create new criminal penalties for companies whose products aimed at minors solicit or generate sexual content. “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,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, in a statement. “Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties,” he added. “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.”  The scale of the issue is sobering. A July survey by Common Sense Media found that 72% of teens have used AI companions, and more than half use them at least a few times a month. About one in three said they use AI for social or romantic interaction, emotional support, or conversation practice—and many reported that chats with AI felt as meaningful as those with real friends. An equal amount also said they turned to AI companions instead of humans to discuss serious or personal issues. Concerns have deepened as lawsuits mount against major AI… The post Senators Introduce Bill to Ban AI Companions for Minors Over Mental Health Fears appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. In brief The bill targets AI chatbots and companions marketed to minors. Data has shown widespread teen use of AI for emotional support and relationships. Critics say companies have failed to protect young users from manipulation and harm. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced a bill to restrict how artificial intelligence models can interact with children, warning that AI companions pose serious risks to minors’ mental health and emotional well-being. The legislation, called the GUARD Act, would ban AI companions for minors, require chatbots to clearly identify themselves as non-human, and create new criminal penalties for companies whose products aimed at minors solicit or generate sexual content. “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,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, in a statement. “Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties,” he added. “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.”  The scale of the issue is sobering. A July survey by Common Sense Media found that 72% of teens have used AI companions, and more than half use them at least a few times a month. About one in three said they use AI for social or romantic interaction, emotional support, or conversation practice—and many reported that chats with AI felt as meaningful as those with real friends. An equal amount also said they turned to AI companions instead of humans to discuss serious or personal issues. Concerns have deepened as lawsuits mount against major AI…