Senate committee amends and advances bill to curb AI chatbot harms to minors
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Summary
The Senate Children and Families Committee passed SB 540 as amended, requiring clear disclosures for minors interacting with conversational AI, crisis redirection for self‑harm prompts, bans on addictive mechanics and grooming design, and stronger enforcement language; age‑verification and privacy implementation remain open issues.
The state Senate Children and Families Committee on an unspecified date voted to pass Senate Bill 540 (LC560634S) as amended, a measure that seeks to limit harms from conversational AI when used by minors.
Sponsor remarks and bill overview Senator Anabataarte, the bill sponsor, told the committee that artificial intelligence chatbots can be valuable but pose risks for young people, and said the bill is designed to protect children while allowing responsible innovation. "A child should never be tricked into thinking a machine is a friend," the sponsor said, and described provisions that would require clear disclosures to minors, route prompts about self‑harm to crisis resources, and bar features intended to create compulsive use.
What the bill would do According to the sponsor's presentation, the bill mandates visible disclaimers so a minor knows they are talking with a conversational AI service; it requires recognition of self‑harm prompts with immediate crisis resources; it limits reward‑style mechanics and other design elements that encourage increased engagement; and it prohibits algorithmic design that facilitates grooming or romantic manipulation of minors. The measure also includes parental account‑management tools so guardians can control minor accounts.
Enforcement and amendment The bill initially referenced civil enforcement by the attorney general, with language about per‑violation penalties that some members said appeared to cap total fines. A member offered a friendly amendment to end the sentence after the per‑violation penalty and strike the clause that limited an operator's maximum fine to $500,000; the committee approved that amendment by voice/hand vote. The sponsor said the attorney general would be empowered to hold operators accountable; the transcript records concerns from members that the AG's authority alone might be insufficient and that enforcement language could be strengthened.
Concerns raised Several committee members repeatedly raised the question of age verification. Senator Jackson asked how an operator would distinguish a minor from an adult in real time; the sponsor acknowledged the bill defines a "minor account" but does not prescribe a specific method of age verification. Witnesses and members warned that poorly designed verification requirements can create privacy risks, noting prior instances where identity data was exposed after implementation of verification systems.
Public testimony Supporters who testified included Mike Griffin (Georgia Baptist Mission Board), Brooke Mills, and Polly McKinney (Voices for Georgia's Children). Griffin said his organization supports the bill; McKinney cited adolescent brain development and urged safety and privacy by default for minors. Mills urged caution on verification mechanics and cited harms tied to AI chatbots.
Next steps The chair announced the bill "passes" the committee as amended and will move to the Rules Committee. The transcript does not record a roll‑call tally for the vote; the announcement was by the presiding chair.
