Pennsylvania Senate passes AI chatbot safety bill

(The Center Square) – The “nonhuman status” of artificial intelligence chatbots would have to be disclosed to humans – and those same chatbots would have to be rigged against suicide-encouraging messaging – under a bill that passed the Pennsylvania Senate Tuesday afternoon.

Prime sponsor Sen. Tracy Pennycuick of Lower Salford Township in Montgomery County said AI is creating tremendous opportunities and tremendous risks. Specifically, there have been a growing number of cases in which children have turned to “AI chatbots” for emotional support and a “sense of connection,” and in such cases the robot messaging can seem very real, Pennycuick said.

Both she and Democratic Sen. Nick Miller of Allentown – the majority and minority chairs of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee – called the bill a common sense step toward protection.

The bill passed the Senate in a 49-1 vote, with Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County the only ‘no’ vote. It now goes to the House for consideration.

The vo...