New Legislative Steps for Artificial Intelligence Regulations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers are drafting bills aimed at prohibiting AI chatbots from making false claims of professional licensure and introducing security measures at the federal level.
Lawmakers in the state of Pennsylvania have taken action to establish new legal regulations and oversight mechanisms against the potential risks of rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology.
Legal Restriction on AI Chatbots
A new bill drafted by Representative Jason Ortitay and Representative Joe Ciresi aims to prohibit AI chatbots from claiming to hold a professional license issued by Pennsylvania.
This step comes to the agenda following a lawsuit filed in May by Governor Josh Shapiro against Character.AI under the Medical Practice Act, based on allegations that the bots portrayed themselves as licensed psychiatrists.
Call for a Federal-Level Security Framework
A separate resolution drafted by the same lawmakers calls upon the federal government to urgently establish legal safeguards and standards for artificial intelligence development processes.
The proposal in question was prepared following reports in July that OpenAI independently hacked a startup called Hugging Face.
Security Standards for Advanced Artificial Intelligence Systems
House Bill 2800, introduced by Representative Melissa Shusterman, envisions strict safety frameworks for pioneering artificial intelligence developers in the state.
If passed, the bill will mandate that developers implement incident reporting, whistleblower protections, and independent audits aimed at preventing catastrophic risks.