Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has introduced a bipartisan bill requiring artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot companies to provide clearer safeguards in their products to protect senior users.
What the Bill Does
Sen. Kelly's Senior Chatbot Protection Act requires companies to more clearly tell users they are talking to an AI, not a living person or licensed professional, especially when conversations involve topics such as health care, estate planning, guardianship, or a crisis so that the chatbot would provide additional warnings, direct users toward appropriate support, and make clear it is not a substitute for qualified professional advice.
Additionally, the bill calls for greater protection of sensitive discussion topics by imposing limits on companies' use of covered conversation data for targeted advertising, profiling, sharing with third parties, or AI training without clear consent, and allowing users to delete conversation history.
Finally, the Senior Chatbot Protection Act calls for measures to prevent excessive reliance on the chatbot by users.
What Kelly is Saying
"AI is a powerful tool that can help seniors live more independently. It can help them manage their finances, keep track of medications and doctor's appointments, and navigate everyday tasks that become more challenging with age," said Sen. Kelly in a press release. "But seniors need to know when they're talking to a machine, what its limits are, and how their information is being used to make sure they aren't being scammed or put at risk."
Kelly on Seniors and AI
In November, the Arizona Senator called for a Senate Committee on Aging hearing on the impact of AI on seniors, which led to the introduction of his Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act at the end of June this year.
The Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act would direct the National Academies to study how older adults use AI in their daily lives, including communication, access to information and gathering, and other aspects.
Meanwhile, Kelly's colleague, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), called for hearings on the impact of AI on minor users in August.
