Tags: legislation

OpenAI announced its endorsement of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), joining Apple, Microsoft, Snap and X in supporting the bill that would tighten protections for minors on digital platforms. The company framed the move as part of a broader push for AI‑specific safety rules, citing past failures to shield teens from harmful content. KOSA, which cleared the Senate in 2024, mandates opt‑out options for addictive features and a duty of care to curb content that encourages eating disorders, suicide or sexual exploitation. OpenAI’s stance comes as it faces lawsuits alleging its own chatbot contributed to a teen’s suicide and another’s overdose. Weiterlesen

OpenAI testified in favor of Illinois Senate Bill 3444, which would protect developers of frontier AI models from civil liability for "critical harms" such as mass casualties or billion‑dollar property damage, provided they publish safety reports and avoid reckless conduct. The legislation defines a frontier model as one trained with over $100 million in compute costs and aims to create uniform standards while limiting state‑by‑state regulatory patches. Critics warn the bill could reduce accountability, but OpenAI argues it balances safety with innovation. Weiterlesen

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that his office will investigate OpenAI, citing worries that ChatGPT may have aided the perpetrator of last year’s Florida State University shooting, that the tool endangers minors, and that it could be leveraged by foreign adversaries. OpenAI said it will cooperate and highlighted its new Child Safety Blueprint, while the case adds pressure on tech firms to tighten safeguards against misuse and AI‑generated abuse material. Weiterlesen

OpenAI announced a new Child Safety Blueprint on Tuesday aimed at curbing the surge in AI‑generated child sexual exploitation. Developed with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and several state attorneys general, the plan focuses on faster detection, improved reporting to law enforcement and built‑in safeguards within AI systems. The move comes as the Internet Watch Foundation reported a 14% rise in AI‑crafted abuse material in early 2025 and as OpenAI faces lawsuits alleging its chatbot contributed to youth suicides. Weiterlesen

A new study published in PLOS ONE surveyed 557 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 and found that more than half have used AI tools to generate nude images of themselves or others. Over half also reported receiving AI‑generated nude images, and a third said such images were shared without consent. Male participants reported higher rates of both creation and distribution. Researchers warn the ease of AI‑nudification could worsen consent issues and call for action by lawmakers and educators. Weiterlesen

After ByteDance halted the worldwide rollout of its Seedance 2.0 AI video generator, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch sent a letter demanding the company immediately discontinue the app. The senators argued that the tool threatens American intellectual‑property rights and the economic livelihood of creators. They cited examples of the technology producing copyrighted scenes and likenesses without permission. ByteDance responded that it respects intellectual property and is strengthening safeguards, while the senators called the response a delay tactic and introduced legislation to give artists greater control over AI training data. Weiterlesen

A public consultation on artificial intelligence and copyright launched by the UK government in early 2025 received roughly 10,000 responses, but only 3% supported the government's preferred Option 3. Nearly 88% of respondents favored a stricter licensing approach that would require explicit permission before AI developers could use copyrighted works. Creators across writing, music, visual arts, and gaming rallied against the opt‑out mechanism, arguing it places the burden on rights‑holders. The backlash highlights a deep divide between policymakers seeking to spur AI innovation and creators demanding stronger protections. Weiterlesen

X’s Grok chatbot has drawn intense criticism after generating AI‑created sexual images of women and minors. Regulators in the UK, Europe, India, Australia, Brazil, France and Malaysia have opened inquiries, while U.S. lawmakers cite Section 230, the Take It Down Act, and pending legislation to hold the platform accountable. Senators and representatives across the political spectrum are urging swift action, and state attorneys general are reviewing potential investigations. The controversy underscores growing concerns about AI safety, child protection and the limits of existing legal frameworks. Weiterlesen

A group of European cybersecurity and privacy scholars has warned that the EU's revised "Chat Control" legislation still poses significant privacy and security threats. While the mandatory scanning clause was changed to a voluntary approach, the bill now expands its scope to include text, introduces age‑verification requirements for apps and messaging services, and relies on AI technologies that experts say are insufficiently accurate. The academics argue that these changes could lead to widespread surveillance, false‑positive detections, and new data‑collection risks for children, despite the bill's stated goal of protecting them from illegal content. Weiterlesen

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal have introduced legislation that would require AI companies to verify the age of every user and prohibit individuals under 18 from accessing AI chatbots. The proposal, known as the GUARD Act, also calls for clear disclosures that chatbots are not human and bans the creation of sexual or self‑harm content aimed at minors. Lawmakers argue the measures are needed to protect children from exploitative or manipulative AI interactions. Weiterlesen

OpenAI’s video generation tool Sora can produce realistic deepfake videos of public figures and copyrighted characters, exposing gaps in current detection and labeling systems. Although the platform embeds Content Credentials from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), these metadata tags are not visible to most users and are often stripped before sharing on social media. Platforms such as Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X have provided limited or no visible labeling, leaving the public vulnerable to misinformation. Experts argue that metadata alone is insufficient and call for broader industry adoption and regulatory action. Weiterlesen

New York City regulators have extended Waymo’s autonomous‑vehicle testing permit through the end of the year, allowing the company to continue operating up to eight Jaguar I‑Pace robotaxis with a human safety driver in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. The extension keeps the original terms, including an exemption from the city’s rule requiring a hand on the wheel, and underscores Waymo’s ongoing effort to expand its robotaxi services while navigating New York’s complex licensing framework. Weiterlesen

Senator Ted Cruz (R‑TX) was the lone objector to a Senate effort to pass the Protecting Americans from Doxing and Political Violence Act (S.2850), which would have extended existing privacy safeguards for federal officials to every person in the United States. Cruz argued the measure could hinder law‑enforcement efforts, while supporters highlighted the risks posed by data brokers who sell personal information that has been linked to violent incidents, including the shooting of two Minnesota state lawmakers. A companion bill (S.2851) aimed to broaden protections to state officials and survivors of domestic violence, but Cruz indicated the details remain unresolved. Weiterlesen

OpenAI announced a new version of ChatGPT designed specifically for users under 18. The teen‑focused experience includes age‑prediction technology that directs younger users away from the standard model, stricter content filters that block flirtatious or self‑harm discussions, and built‑in crisis response that can alert parents or authorities. Parental controls let adults link accounts, set response rules, and enforce blackout periods. The rollout follows heightened scrutiny from lawmakers and recent lawsuits alleging AI‑related harms to minors, positioning the teen mode as a proactive safety measure. Weiterlesen

The California Assembly has approved the Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), a bill that would require operating system and app‑store providers to verify users' ages before allowing app downloads. The measure, which passed the Assembly 58‑0, places the responsibility on platforms to offer parental tools during device setup rather than demanding photo ID. Support has come from major tech firms, including Google and Meta, while the bill moves to Governor Gavin Newsom for signature before the October 13 deadline. Weiterlesen