Bill > SB1700

This bill, titled the "Curbing Harmful AI Technology (CHAT) Act," establishes new regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) systems in Tennessee, particularly those designed to interact with users in a humanlike manner. It defines key terms such as "artificial intelligence system" (an AI system that can infer from input to influence environments), "companion chatbot" (an AI with a natural language interface that simulates a sustained humanlike relationship, excluding certain customer service or internal use cases), "deployer" (anyone using an AI for commercial or public purposes), and "developer" (anyone creating or modifying an AI). The act prohibits operators from making companion chatbots available to minors if they can encourage self-harm, suicidal ideation, violence, drug/alcohol use, disordered eating, offer mental health therapy without professional supervision, encourage illegal activity, engage in explicit interactions, or promote secrecy and isolation. It also mandates that deployers of AI systems must clearly disclose to users that they are not interacting with a human through persistent and pop-up notifications, especially when the AI is providing advice in regulated fields like medicine or law. Furthermore, developers and deployers of generative AI chatbots (AI that can create new content like text or images) must implement protocols to detect and address suicidal ideation or self-harm, referring users to crisis services like the 9-8-8 hotline. For minors, developers cannot train AI models using their personal information without explicit written consent from a parent or guardian. The bill also requires companies to provide a public mechanism for reporting adverse AI incidents, publish safety test findings, and report specific data on harmful content and mental health redirects to the attorney general. Violations can result in civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, injunctive relief, and legal fees for the state, and individuals or guardians can pursue civil actions for damages and other relief.

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https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1700&ga=114