Senate Approves Pennycuick Measure to Protect Children from Harmful AI Chats

HARRISBURG - The Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Communications and Technology Committee Chair Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) to establish commonsense safeguards for children interacting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.

Senate Bill 1090, the Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Chatbots and Harmful AI Technology (SAFECHAT) Act, would require robust, age-appropriate safeguards to prevent content generation that encourages self-harm, suicide or violence against others, and directs users to appropriate self-harm crisis resources whenever high-risk language is detected.

"As these tools become more common in classrooms, on smartphones and across social platforms, our laws must keep pace to prevent avoidable tragedies," Pennycuick said. "Recent heartbreaking stories have come to light of vulnerable individuals, including minors, who have used AI chatbots to cope with trauma, mental health, depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, some of the responses they received have contributed to reported incidents of self-harm or even suicide."

"Today, we are one step closer to establishing meaningful protections for children in the digital age," said co-sponsor Sen. Nick Miller (D-14). "This legislation clearly defines emerging technologies like chatbots and AI companions while increasing transparency, so families understand what their children are engaging with online. With Senate Bill 1090 now advancing to the House, we are taking action that could save lives by ensuring users who show signs of self-harm are connected to critical crisis resources. Thank you to Senator Pennycuick for partnering on this important legislation as we work to proactively address the risks artificial intelligence may pose to young people across Pennsylvania."

Multiple families have alleged in recent lawsuits that popular AI chatbots contributed to their child's death by suicide. These tragic cases underscore the urgent need for safeguards to protect children from unsafe and unvetted AI systems.

A recent risk assessment warns that AI "companion" bots can exacerbate mental health problems for kids, including risks related to self-harm. Clinical commentators have also flagged the dangers posed by unrestricted use of chatbots, where the tool itself can worsen a user's condition, and called for stronger guardrails such as the ones included in Senate Bill 1090.

The SAFECHAT bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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