Pennsylvania HB 2006: An Act providing for safety regarding artificial intelligence in companionship applications; and imposing a penalty.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2560, 3676 PRINTER'S NO. 3747
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2006
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, SANCHEZ, K. HARRIS, SMITH-WADE-EL,
WAXMAN, PROBST, HANBIDGE, STEELE, SCOTT, MAZZOCCO, SAMUELSON
AND MADSEN, OCTOBER 31, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JULY 1, 2026
AN ACT
Providing for safety regarding artificial intelligence in
companionship applications; and imposing a penalty.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the AI Companion
Safety Act.
SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:
(1) OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES, THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE, OR AI, HAS BECOME A TOOL IN THE LIVES OF MANY
PENNSYLVANIANS.
(2) MORE RECENTLY, NUMEROUS PENNSYLVANIANS ARE TURNING
TO AI COMPANIONS FOR EVERYDAY TASKS.
(3) AI COMPANIONS USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY
AND ARE DESIGNED TO SIMULATE FRIENDSHIP, TRUST AND
COMPANIONSHIP, MAKING THEM UNIQUELY INFLUENTIAL, PARTICULARLY
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TO MINORS.
(4) WHILE AI COMPANIONS HAVE POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR THIS
COMMONWEALTH'S RESIDENTS, AI COMPANIONS ALSO POSE UNIQUE
CHALLENGES.
(5) AS AI COMPANIONS BECOME INCREASINGLY INTEGRATED INTO
SOCIETY, THE COMMONWEALTH HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT
THESE PRODUCTS INCLUDE BASIC SAFEGUARDS TO BETTER PROTECT
USERS, ESPECIALLY MINORS, WHILE SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE
INNOVATION.
(6) THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION IN ITS
PUBLISHED CONSIDERATION REGARDING AI AND MINORS STATES THAT:
(I) CONSIDERATION OF THE IMPACTS OF AI SHOULD
INCLUDE FACTORS SUCH AS THE SPECIFIC APPLICATION OF AI,
DESIGN FEATURES OF APPLICATIONS, DATA USES TO TRAIN AI
SYSTEMS AND THE CONTEXT OF THE USE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES.
(II) DIFFERENT ADOLESCENTS MAY REACT TO THE SAME
CONTENT IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES,
SUCH AS TEMPERAMENT, NEURODIVERSITY, EXPOSURE TO STRESS
OR VIOLENCE, SOCIAL ISOLATION, TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES,
MENTAL HEALTH, AGE AND EXPOSURE TO SOCIOECONOMIC OR
STRUCTURAL DISADVANTAGE CAN ALL AFFECT ADOLESCENTS'
RESPONSES TO CONTENT OR ONLINE EXPERIENCES.
(7) THIS ACT IS NOT INTENDED TO STIFLE INNOVATION.
(8) THIS ACT IS INTENDED TO:
(I) UTILIZE THE COMMONWEALTH'S POLICING POWERS TO
ENSURE USERS, ESPECIALLY MINORS, ARE PROTECTED WHEN THEY
USE THIS TECHNOLOGY.
(II) INCLUDE ROBUST DATA PRIVACY PROTECTIONS TO
ENSURE THAT AN AI OPERATOR IS PROHIBITED FROM CREATING OR
MAINTAINING A DATABASE OF USERS' PERSONAL INFORMATION
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WHILE ENSURING THAT THE USERS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS OR HARMFUL CONTENT.
Section 2 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"AI companion." A system using artificial intelligence that
simulates sustained human-like relationships by retaining
interaction history, engaging in emotion-based interactions and
maintaining ongoing dialogues about personal matters designed to
mimic interpersonal relationships. The term does not include:
(1) A system used by a business entity solely to provide
customer service if the system does not engage in emotion-
based interactions and maintain ongoing dialogues about
personal matters designed to mimic interpersonal
relationships.
(2) A system that is used by a business entity solely
for internal purposes.
"AI model." A component of an information system that
implements artificial intelligence technology and uses
computational, statistical or machine-learning techniques to
produce outputs from a given set of inputs.
"Artificial intelligence" or "AI." All of the following:
(1) A machine-based system that can, for a given set of
human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations
or decisions influencing real or virtual environments,
including the ability to:
(i) perceive real and virtual environments;
(ii) abstract perceptions made under this paragraph
into AI models through analysis in an automated manner;
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and
(iii) use model inference to formulate options for
information or action based on outcomes under
subparagraphs (i) and (ii).
(2) The term includes generative artificial
intelligence.
"Generative artificial intelligence." The class of AI models
that emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in
order to generate derived synthetic content, including
information such as images, videos, audio clips or text, that
has been significantly modified or generated by algorithms,
including by artificial intelligence.
"Human-like relationship." Intimate, romantic or platonic
interactions or companionship.
"Minor." An individual in this