Common Sense Media's Brenna Leeser urges support for youth chatbot safety bill
Brenna Leeser of Common Sense Media says their testing found popular AI chatbots are unsafe for kids, with 70% of teens using AI companions. She supports Senate Bill 9051 on unsafe chatbot features for minors and urges the Council to pass a resolution supporting it.
Good evening, Madam Speaker and Council Members.
My name is Brenna Leeser and I serve as a Tech Policy Advisor at Common Sense Media, which is the largest nonprofit organization in the country that works to keep kids safe in a digital world.
In New York State alone, we have 80,000 parent and teacher members and are active in the legislature as well, fighting for kids'online safety.
On our and their behalf, thank you for considering measures to enhance AI safety for kids in the city.
AI is a powerful technology that demands careful consideration before any use.
Parents and educators specifically need allies on the council to keep their kids safe.
Common Sense Media's testing found that many of the most popular AI chatbots are not safe for kids.
Our recommendation is that no one under 18 should use AI for companionship or mental health support.
And tragically, there have been many cases tying AI chatbots to teen suicides and mental health.
Yet, AI chatbots are increasingly embedded in our children's lives through search tools, social media platforms, or through pressure to use AI chatbots to support their education.
Our research found that 70% of teens use AI companion chatbots, and one in three prefer to interact with them as much or more than humans.
This year, Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Alex Boris, with strong support from Attorney General James, Everyday New Yorkers, Common Sense Media, NYSET, and others, got the legislature to unanimously pass Senate Bill 9051,
their bill to prohibit unsafe features and AI chatbots offered to minors.
The bill now awaits Governor Hochul's signature, and if signed, it will be the strongest youth AI safety chatbot law in the country.
It would prohibit chatbots from providing unsafe features that promote self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating, from encouraging minors to keep interactions secret or to self-isolate, and from prioritizing engagement over safety.
So we urge the city council to pass a resolution supporting Senate Bill 9051 to ensure that New York's kids are protected from unsafe AI chatbots.
We thank you for this hearing and your attention to our concerns.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.