MO lawmaker wants to restrict AI companion chatbot use among children

Some Missouri kids might be confiding in artificial intelligence chatbots to help them with loneliness and to solve problems, for friendship, emotional support, and even entertainment reasons, but there’s a dark side to their new AI bestie. St. Charles state Representative Scott Miller has pre-filed a bill that aims to terminate most AI companion chatbot use among children.

“You’ve got an influencer affecting your kids. Well, who made that influencer? How do we know that that influencer is the kind of influencer I want around my kids? That’s such a wild, Wild West thing right now, I’m going to err on the side of making sure kids are safe and it’s easier for parents to make sure their kids are safe,” says Miller.

“What I’m trying to do is provide the standing element so that if something does go sideways and somebody does suffer, then the parent or whoever can come to the courts and go, ‘Look, this bad thing happened and here’s where it says in law that they shouldn’t have done this.’ And now that gives the court an opportunity to right a wrong,” says Miller.

“Another way of looking at it is that your parents told you who you were allowed to hang out with and who you weren’t because of whether they were a good or a bad influence. Well, a companion chatbot is an influence,” says Miller.

When asked why the state should regulate AI chatbot use among children instead of leaving it up to parents, Miller says he could change the bill if some parents want more flexibility. His bill does not include customer service, education, or work-related reasons. Miller added that his bill does not include penalties if someone violates the law.