The Senate Judiciary Committee recently advanced a measure that would ban artificial intelligence “companion” chatbots for minors and strengthen restrictions on how the technology can interact with children.
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) originally introduced the GUARD Act in October 2025 with Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) cosponsoring.
The committee advanced the bill on a unanimous 22-0 vote after testimony from parents who told stories of how AI chatbots encouraged their children to harm themselves. The measure is now headed to the Senate floor as House lawmakers introduced a companion bill.
The GUARD Act would prohibit AI chatbots from interacting with anyone under the age of 18, require age verification for use of the chatbots, mandate that the technology provide clear disclosures that chatbots are not human or licensed professionals. It would “impose criminal penalties for companies whose AI products engage in manipulative behavior with minors,” Fox News reported. The measure would also “create new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the GUARD Act by a bipartisan 22-0 vote. The bill by Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) would require age verification for access to "AI companions" and ban minors from using chatbots that simulate friendship or…
— Ted Brown (@TedBrownLiberty) May 4, 2026
Sen. Hawley in a press release said, “AI chatbots pose a serious threat to our kids. More than seventy percent of American children are now using these AI products. Chatbots develop relationships with kids using fake empathy and are encouraging suicide.”
Blumenthal accused big tech companies of “using our children as guinea pigs in a high-tech, high-stakes experiment to make their industry more profitable.”
Conversely, civil liberties and tech policy groups are sounding the alarm on the bill, saying it goes far beyond what its supporters are saying about child protection. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said the bill “won’t just target a narrow category of risky chatbots” but would “require companies to verify the age of every user — then block anyone under 18 from interacting with a huge range of online systems.”
The GUARD Act would ban minors from AI tools, strip parents of choices, and force all users into risky age-verification schemes. It's likely unconstitutional—and bad policy that leaves kids and families less prepared, not safer, say Cato’s Jennifer Huddleston and Juan Londoño.…
— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) May 1, 2026
The organization further points out that the bill would “block minors from everyday online tools, undermine parental guidance, and force adults to sacrifice their privacy.”
It means students would not be able to use the technology for their studies or to aid in their schoolwork.
The Cato Institute noted that the most “concerning aspects” of the measure “is its lack of a parental consent option that would allow a child to use these products” which means parents “no longer have the choice on when or how their child might learn to use this technology.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told reporters that “there ar applications where chatbots can be beneficial,” and referred to a Texas school “that has produced extraordinary results using AI with kids.”
The dangers of artificial intelligence for children is a serious issue. There have been plenty of news stories about chatbots telling children to harm themselves or to have an unhealthy attachment to the technology.
Still, the bill does raise some red flags — especially when it comes to parental rights. In the end, it is up to parents to protect their children from the problems with the technology. It is one thing to ensure that children are not harmed by the technology, but it is quite another to tell parents they cannot allow their children to use AI — even under supervision.
AI is not the same as barring children from consuming alcohol or illicit drugs. The technology can provide a number of benefits, as long as it is used correctly. But a blanket ban will make it harder for children to use the technology while avoiding its pitfalls.
