— Over 60,000 Americans are calling on the U.S. Senate to protect the rights of states to enforce AI safety laws. The ongoing effort, coordinated by Common Sense Media, Consumer Reports, Americans for Responsible Innovation, Accountable Tech, Public Citizen, and other nonprofit organizations, comes in response to a proposal being considered by Congress right now that would ban states from enforcing AI safety laws for 10 years — a priority for giant tech companies that want a free pass to expand their industry without guardrails to protect kids, consumers, workers, or personal privacy.

Americans from across the country have signed a petition calling on the U.S. Senate to strip out the AI state law ban that the House of Representatives narrowly approved on May 22. The petition reflects intense bipartisan concern over just how fast AI is creeping into everyday life, including for kids and teens, without any regard for the known risks of AI use. The 10-year ban would, for example, block states from cracking down on AI-generated sexual material, unsafe AI "companions," AI tools collecting kids' personal data, and more until 2035.

"Senators should pay careful attention to the rising discontent over the proposed 10-year ban on AI safety laws and should strip it from the budget bill," "Banning state AI safety laws is not a budget matter and has no place in a budget bill. On top of that, it is irresponsible and indefensible to leave consumers and kids vulnerable to AI threats. And, importantly, the American people hate the ban. Senators must listen to the people they serve and reject this reckless proposal."

"Consumers deserve protections from AI systems that can mislead or manipulate them, especially in high-stakes areas like finance and health care," "AI processes massive amounts of personal data, and consumers deserve transparency and control over how that data is being used. And when AI systems make mistakes — and we know it's not ‘if,' but ‘when' — consumers need protections and a clear recourse to right wrongs. The proposed 10-year moratorium doesn't offer anything in the way of new protections for consumers. It simply says, ‘you're on your own, and you can't do anything about it.'"

"Voters have serious concerns about AI's impact, and they support the safeguards that state lawmakers are putting in place," "The moratorium in the federal reconciliation bill has the potential to tear down transparency requirements, rules for youth online, and protections for artists and creators, just to name a few. Our grassroots campaign sends a message to Congress that lawmakers should build up, rather than tear down, safeguards for this new technology."

"This proposal is the gift AI companies have been dreaming of — a decade-long vacation from accountability," "The companies that stand to benefit from this ban rely on business models that put engagement and profit above safety and privacy. Their products are designed to exploit personal data and manipulate users in order to generate profit. Blocking states from stepping in is a giveaway to Big Tech and a green light for unchecked harm. The Senate must reject this reckless ban."

"The proposed AI law ban is a dream for tech lobbyists, but it's a nightmare for the American people," "This is a blank check for AI misuse. Congress says it will eventually act on AI, but it has failed to pass meaningful tech legislation for years. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have done the hard work of responding to their residents' needs and enacting common sense protections against the obvious harms of AI. Our U.S. Senators have a duty as public officials to put the people first — not corporate interests — and strike this ban from the budget bill."

Recent polling by Common Sense Media and Echelon Insights revealed that Americans across the political spectrum have serious concerns about the proposed AI law moratorium. The poll found that more than 4 in 5 voters, including more than three-quarters of Republicans, agree that while advances in AI are exciting, they also bring risks, and America "shouldn't force states to sit on the sidelines for a full decade." Nearly three-quarters of voters want both states and the federal government to play a role in setting up guardrails on AI.

This campaign is also supported by All Girls Allowed, Design It For Us, Center for Humane Technology, Encode, Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), The Tech Oversight Project, Tech Oversight California, The Anxious Generation, Parents Together, and the Young People's Alliance.

Read the full petition here.

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