Lawmakers in Hawaii are considering a bill that would protect children from artificially intelligent chatbots.
The review comes after a constituent showed Sen. Jarrett Keokallol alarming chat records between his 12-year-old daughter and a Character.AI chatbot. Even though the girl told the program she was a child, the bot was sexually suggestive and violent.
Mr Keohokalore explained that that’s something parents need to be aware of.
“I think it’s important to remember that these companion chatbots are built to mimic human interaction, but at the end of the day, this is just big technology operating the way it’s done on social media. They’re trying to optimize engagement, which means they’re just trying to keep users on the app as long as possible,” he said.
“Chatbots have no morals. They don’t have ethics. They don’t understand when they’re trying to take a user down a dangerous path. The whole point of these chatbots is to try to keep people on the platform and monetize their engagement. So parents should know about this and that and preferably have a conversation with their kids,” Keokallol said.
California passed its own law called the AI Kids Safety Act. Operators should limit interaction with children unless safety measures are in place. For example, we need to discourage encouraging high-risk behaviors such as self-harm and sexual interactions.
However, the federal Department of Justice recently created a task force to identify and challenge state laws regulating AI. One way to do so is to withhold state information. Broadband Equity, Access, and Adoption Program Funds that will be used to expand internet access in rural areas. The state will receive about $150 million through the program.
Deputy Attorney General Chelsea Okamoto explained that if Congress passes the Children’s AI Regulation Act and the Justice Department withdraws funding, there are legal avenues to challenge that decision.
Congresswoman Trish La Chica also plans to introduce legislation to protect children when interacting with AI chatbots, and emphasized the need for regulation despite threats of federal budget cuts.
“I think it’s irresponsible, both as a legislator and as a mother, that these kinds of products are put out there with a wait-and-see attitude, because we already know that these products are harmful to children,” she said.
“Our children, their brains are still developing, and it’s alarming that when children are interacting with things that seem to give them affirmation and attention, it’s actually blurring the line between what’s inappropriate and what’s harmful.”
