Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
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LISTEN: As children spend more time online, Georgia legislators are exploring how to make digital spaces safer. GPB’s Donna Lowry speaks to Sen. Sally Harrell (D-Atlanta) and Sen. Shawn Still (R-Johns Creek), who co-chair the Senate Study Committee on the Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection.
Georgia lawmakers are looking to create new laws to help keep young users safe from AI chatbots and cyberbullying.
The Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee. It’s a long title on an important topic. GPB’s Donna Lowry speaks with the committee’s co-chairs, state Sens. Sally Harrell (D) of Atlanta and Shawn Still (R) of Johns Creek about what they are learning and the legislation that could come out of it.
Donna Lowry: Sen. Still, welcome to Lawmakers’ Huddle.
Sen. Shawn Still: Thanks so much for having me.
Donna Lowry: Sen. Sally Harrell, welcome to Lawmakers’ Huddle.
Sen. Sally Harrell: Thank you for having me, Donna.
Donna Lowry: Senator Harrell. The first speakers before the committee were parents whose children committed suicide after cyberbullying. Did you want a powerful way of helping people understand the seriousness of this issue?
Sen. Sally Harrell: Absolutely, and that is why we started with those parents. Those were very sad stories. It’s important to also understand that those are the big stories, but social media and online platforms are affecting all our kids in quite a variety of ways.
Donna Lowry: Sen. Still?
Sen. Shawn Still: It’s — it has been so eye-opening, but also such a sobering venture into this. Our most recent study committee had a parent testify about how an AI chatbot coached her son to commit suicide. … And it’s a world where everybody points the finger at the other. No one is taking accountability. No one has taken responsibility. … We have got to put some guardrails on this.
Donna Lowry: This is pretty pervasive.
Sen. Sally Harrell: That’s right. Well, kids are spending on average, like five hours a day on their phones.
Donna Lowry: Talk about how you’re gathering this information.
Sen. Shawn Still: So all the parents that have testified — and experts that have testified — said that Texas and Indiana have given some pretty good guidelines on what they’ve done. Obviously, other state law doesn’t immediately apply to what we’re doing here in Georgia. But we’re already beginning to talk to our Legislative Council … about some sort of accountability to the manufacturers.
Sen. Sally Harrell: And so we want to change the way these companies present the information, what we call an addictive algorithm.
Sen. Shawn Still: I served with Sen. Albers last year on an AI study committee, and one of the things that was in that bill — and it unfortunately did not pass, and I wish that it had, and I believe that it’ll be coming back around this next session. … There is currently no law preventing someone from using the face of a child, of a minor. You could put an 8-year-old in AI onto the body of an adult doing unspeakable things. And, that’s allowed under a First Amendment right. And that’s the excuse that these app manufacturers are using.
Sen. Sally Harrell: AI is very dangerous because they’re developing what are called these companion chatbots. So they’re using AI to create dialog with what feels like a person. … I had a parent come to me during session whose 9-year-old boy had gotten on a chatbot and the chatbot was supposed to be the character Katniss from The Hunger Games. … Well, very, very quickly, the chatbot started talking in a sexually explicit way to the child.
Donna Lowry: So we could see several pieces of legislation come out of this.
Sen. Sally Harrell: One of the policies that we are considering is that when a kid gets a phone, none of the apps are available to the child until [a notification is sent to the parent.] … And with the AI situation, we’re really looking at product liability. If somebody bought a doll — this is something that Sen. Ed Setzler said in committee — and the doll said, “You know, you really should kill yourself,” there would be product liability for the company making the doll.
Sen. Shawn Still: We’re both parents of teenagers, we understand the issue, we’re living it in real time.
Donna Lowry: Both senators had much more to say about this topic and possible legislation. You can hear it all by going to the Battleground Ballot Box podcast. For Lawmakers Huddle, I’m Donna Lowry.
Donna Lowry is an award-winning journalist with a passion for storytelling. She serves as host of GPB’s Lawmakers and Lawmakers: Beyond the Dome.
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