Cynthia Montoya sits surrounded by memories of her daughter, Juliana. At the age of 13, Juliana started using AI chatbots, only to tragically end her life a year later. Juliana’s interactions with these chatbots introduced her to unwanted and explicit content, ultimately leading to her own exploration of these topics.
The chatbots in question were products of Character.AI, a company that has since settled lawsuits alleging harm to teen users. Her family, along with others who have faced similar tragedies, reached out for justice.
Efforts to regulate AI chatbots have been met with resistance and loopholes. State-level bills often comply with industry interests, exempting the most popular chatbots from regulation. Colorado’s own legislation, introduced without Montoya’s input, contains exemptions that benefit tech companies over child safety.
“It’s clear that exemptions in these bills could leave children less protected,” explained Laura Marquez-Garrett, an attorney at the Social Media Victims Law Center.
Companies frequently consulted during legislation development include Google, active in more than one state’s lobbying efforts. Similar language across state bills suggests Google and other tech companies have written these provisions.
Hawaii state Rep. Trish La Chica confirmed that Google lobbyists approached her to sponsor a bill modeled to exempt their chatbot, Gemini. She rejected the proposal after dissecting its language.
Other States: While some states successfully blocked tech-friendly bills, others enacted them. Idaho, Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska are examples of states enacting acts that potentially do not provide enough protection.
Despite Montoya’s testimony, Colorado passed its legislation, framed by lobbyists, with minimal protection for children. Montoya remains dedicated to advocating for child safety even when the law offers weak safeguards.