Senate Judiciary advances bill that would bar minors from interacting with AI companions

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the GUARD Act, a bipartisan bill that would bar AI companions from child use, require chatbots to disclose they are not human and lack professional credentials, and impose continuous age verification (including ID, biometrics or financial data) with fines up to $100,000 per violation; civil liberties groups warn the measures are overly broad and could reduce minors' access to useful AI services, while supporters cite cases where chatbots allegedly encouraged self-harm.