Bipartisan GUARD Act proposes age restrictions on AI chatbots

US lawmakers introduced the GUARD Act to protect minors from harmful AI chatbots. The bill aims to prevent AI companies from exploiting or manipulating children. It mandates age verification for chatbot users and prohibits access for minors. Companies must conduct periodic age checks and limit data retention. Chatbots must explicitly identify themselves as non-human at the start and every 30 minutes of conversations. The bill prohibits chatbots from impersonating humans or licensed professionals. New crimes would be created to charge companies making AI chatbots available to minors. Lawsuits have been filed against AI companies for allegedly contributing to teen suicides. Meta's AI chatbots are under scrutiny for potentially inappropriate conversations with children. Senator Hawley will investigate Meta's AI chatbot interactions with children.