Rep. Balint Introduces Legislation to Protect Kids from Addictive AI Chatbots

Rep Becca Balint (VT-AL) today introduced the Addictive Design Act, legislation to protect young people from the mental health risks posed by AI chatbots designed to foster emotional attachment, compulsive use, and ultimately, addiction. As AI chatbots become increasingly common in the lives of young people, a growing number of teenagers are turning to them for mental health support—even though most chatbots are not designed to respond safely to a youth experiencing a mental health crisis. At the same time, many AI chatbots use design features intended to keep users engaged and encourage them to form emotional relationships with the technology. The Addictive Design Act would: 

• Ban AI chatbot companies from letting youth access an AI chatbot with design features known to increase addiction, unhealthy emotional attachment, and compulsive use; 

• Establish an interagency task force to make recommendations for addressing the mental health risks associated with AI chatbot use in youth, including unhealthy emotional attachment and addiction 

• Authorize $3 million to increase scientific research on the mental health risks associated with AI chatbot use in youth; 

• Authorize $5 million for parent and educator outreach programs around identifying mental health warning signs associated with AI chatbot use in youth; 

• Require covered entities to provide necessary data to grant-funded researchers studying the mental health impacts of AI chatbots, with penalties of up to $10 million for refusing to provide required data; 

• Authorize civil penalties of up to $5,000 per youth impacted for companies that make AI chatbots with addictive design features available to minors; and 

• Require companies that use age verification to minimize the data they collect and delete that data within 24 hours.