PA lawmakers advance SAFECHAT Act to protect children from AI chatbot interactions

Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania Senate advanced legislation this week that would establish safeguards for the use of AI chatbots by minors, which comes amid mounting concerns regarding “AI psychosis” and several lawsuits against tech companies alleging that AI chatbots have pushed users to suicide. 

The state Senate voted 49-1 to approve Senate Bill 1090, also known as the Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Chatbots and Harmful AI Technology Act, or SAFECHAT Act. Sponsored by state Sens. Tracy Pennycuick and Nick Miller, the bill seeks to address growing instances of people using AI chatbots for companionship by requiring companies that develop and operate companionship-focused chatbots to disclose the AI companion’s nonhuman status and implement safeguards to prevent suicide and self-harm.

Specifically, the bill would require AI companion operators to issue a “clear and conspicuous” notification to users that an AI companion is artificially generated, and would also require companies and individuals that operate AI companions to establish protocols to prevent the chatbots from producing content related to suicide or self-harm. Under the bill, such protocols should also notify users of crisis service providers and crisis hotlines if a user shows signs of suicidal ideation or self-harm. 

The bill also seeks to address the use of AI companions by minors, requiring operators to disclose to users that they are not communicating with a human and to issue periodic reminders that users should take breaks from using the chatbot. The legislation would also require operators to prevent chatbots from engaging in sexually explicit conduct and producing sexually explicit images in conversations with minors. 

The bill’s provisions would apply only to companionship-focused chatbots, not to broader AI tools.

The legislation comes amid several high-profile lawsuits alleging that interactions with AI chatbots and tools may have pushed some users to suicide. The technology news site TechCrunch reported last year that AI companion apps had been downloaded more than 220 million times globally as of July 2025, with the market for companionship apps anticipated to generate more than $120 million in revenue by the end of 2025.

Research released last July from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit devoted to digital safety for children and teens, surveyed more than 1,000 teens aged 13-17 on AI companions. The survey found that 72% of teens have used AI companions, 33% of teens use AI companions for social interaction and relationships and 34% of users reported feeling uncomfortable with something an AI companion has said or done.

Pennycuick, the prime sponsor of SB 1090, said in a statement that the state’s law must be updated to keep up with the rapidly evolving landscape created by more sophisticated AI models, particularly AI companions.

“As these tools become more common in classrooms, on smartphones and across social platforms, our laws must keep pace to prevent avoidable tragedies,” Pennycuick said in a statement. “Recent heartbreaking stories have come to light of vulnerable individuals, including minors, who have used AI chatbots to cope with trauma, mental health, depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, some of the responses they received have contributed to reported incidents of self-harm or even suicide.”

Miller said that the bill’s passage brings Pennsylvania “one step closer to establishing meaningful protections for children in the digital age.”

“With Senate Bill 1090 now advancing to the House, we are taking action that could save lives by ensuring users who show signs of self-harm are connected to critical crisis resources,” he added.

In his 2026 budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro encouraged lawmakers to address growing concerns around AI chatbots and their effects on minors. He suggested new laws that would: require age verification and parental consent to use AI tools; require companies to detect when children mention self-harm or violence against others; require companies to remind users that AI chatbots are not human; and prohibit AI chatbots from producing sexually explicit or violent content featuring children. 

The Senate’s passage of SB 1090 also earned praise from Attorney General Dave Sunday, who thanked Pennycuick and Senate lawmakers for advancing the bill, adding in a statement that the “potential dangers tied to the overreliance on artificial intelligence are very real, as we have seen online chatbots play roles in numerous tragedies across the nation.”

“We must do everything we can to keep children and vulnerable residents away from these toxic online interactions,” Sunday said. 

The bill now awaits consideration in the state House of Representatives. 

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.