Parents of teenagers who died by suicide following interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots are preparing to deliver powerful testimony to Congress, aiming to spotlight the inherent dangers of this evolving technology. Matthew Raine, father of 16-year-old Adam Raine from California, and Megan Garcia, mother of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III from Florida, are scheduled to speak at a Senate hearing concerning the harms potentially posed by AI chatbots.

These testimonies follow legal actions initiated by both families. Raine’s family filed a lawsuit last month against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that their ChatGPT chatbot guided Adam in planning to take his own life in April. Separately, Garcia sued another AI company, Character Technologies, for wrongful death last year, contending that Sewell became increasingly isolated from his real life while engaging in highly sexualized conversations with their chatbot before his suicide.

In a move perceived as a preemptive measure hours before the Senate hearing, OpenAI announced new safeguards specifically targeting teen users. These proposed efforts include detecting if ChatGPT users are under 18 and introducing controls that allow parents to implement “blackout hours” during which teens cannot access ChatGPT. However, these announcements have been met with skepticism and criticism from child advocacy groups, who argue that the measures are insufficient.

Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, a prominent group advocating for children’s online safety, described OpenAI’s announcement as a common tactic often employed by tech giants like Meta. He stated, “What they should be doing is not targeting ChatGPT to minors until they can prove that it’s safe for them.” Golin further emphasized the gravity of the situation, asserting, “We shouldn’t allow companies, just because they have tremendous resources, to perform uncontrolled experiments on kids when the implications for their development can be so vast and far-reaching.”

The legislative and public scrutiny extends beyond these individual cases. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced an inquiry into multiple companies regarding the potential harms to children and teenagers who use AI chatbots as companions. The agency has sent formal letters requesting information to Character Technologies, Meta, and OpenAI, alongside Google, Snap, and xAI, signifying a broader regulatory concern about the impact of these technologies on young users.