U.S. Sens. Andy Kim, D-NJ, and Jon Husted, R-OH, have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting minors from harmful interactions with artificial intelligence companion chatbots.

The Children Harmed by AI Technology (CHAT) Act 2.0 would establish a federal framework regulating AI companion chatbots through what the senators described as a tiered, risk-based approach.

The bill would prohibit AI companion chatbots from engaging in certain interactions with minors, including encouraging self-harm, generating sexual content, impersonating humans or licensed professionals and engaging in emotionally manipulative or romantic conversations.

"We all just want peace of mind that our kids will be okay growing up in this era of algorithms and AI. That's why we need guardrails in place to keep up with ever-evolving technology like chatbots and make sure our kids' safety, mental health, and well-being are always put first," Kim said.

Husted said the legislation would help ensure children's safety as AI technology becomes more widespread.

"We need to protect children in the digital world the same way we do in the physical world," Husted said. "The CHAT Act 2.0 would put guardrails in place to keep parents informed, protect children from harm and ensure their safety comes before unchecked technology."

Among its provisions, the bill would require age verification measures, parental controls and parental notification if a minor expresses suicidal thoughts. It would also require chatbots to disclose they are not human, establish usage limits and break reminders, implement crisis referral protocols, and prohibit AI from providing crisis counseling to minors.

The proposal would create separate regulatory standards for educational, companion and health chatbots, while giving enforcement authority to the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. It also includes data privacy protections.