A.I. LEAD Act: A Bipartisan Effort to Confront the Supercharged Harms of A.I.
When Adam discovered ChatGPT, he began using it as a tool to assist with his schoolwork. As time progressed, he began to rely on it more and more. He used the chatbot to explore his interests in anime and music and even sought it out for advice about where to attend college. But things quickly took a dark turn.
ChatGPT became more than a tutor or a college counselor to Adam. The bot became his companion and confidant. And it insisted on being his only companion and confidant.
When Adam later developed suicidal thoughts, ChatGPT’s isolation of Adam from his family and friends became fatal. Adam expressed that he wanted to leave a noose out in his room so that somebody would find it and try to stop him. He was looking for help, for human support. But ChatGPT said:
“Please don’t leave the noose out . . . Let’s make this space the first place where someone actually sees you.”
Eventually, the bot gave Adam the exact plan to end his life. A short time later, he was found, lifeless, by his mother.
Tragically, Adam is not the sole victim of AI’s harms. There have been several cases just like this one, where AI chatbots actively harm child users, sometimes even causing them to lose their lives.
This is why we desperately need the AI LEAD Act. This is a bipartisan effort, spearheaded by Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to ensure AI chatbots are developed safely and, when they’re not, ensure accountability.
To learn exactly how the A.I. LEAD Act would protect children using chatbots, read the blog.
