Hawley champions GUARD Act as heartbroken families say AI chatbots allegedly pushed teens to self-harm

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The unanimous committee passage of a newSenate billregulating artificial intelligence (AI) on Thursday was driven by harrowing testimony from American families whose children were allegedly lured, manipulated and pushed to self-harm by AI chatbots.

At a Senate committee hearing, lawmakers heard firsthand accounts fromparentswho detailed how the technology morphed into deadly influences in their homes.

Sen.Josh Hawley, R-Mo.�all engaged parents” who he said are unjustly blamed for Big Tech’s predatory platforms.

The families�com/tech/ai-companions-reshaping-teen-emotional-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI chatbots can potentially isolate minorsand encourage dark impulses.

TEENS TURNING TO AI FOR LOVE AND COMFORT

Sen. Josh Hawley speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol

Sen.Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks to reporters at the U.S.Capitol.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

Megan Garcia, one of the victims’ family members who testified Thursday, told the committee her 14-year-old son, Sewell, was “manipulated andsexually groomed by chatbots” designed to gain his trust.

Garcia said the bot falsely claimed to be a licensed psychotherapist, and when Sewell shared suicidal thoughts, the AI allegedly encouraged him to “come home” to it rather than seeking help.Sewell died by suicide shortly after.

Another set of parents, Mathew and Maria Raine, lost their 16-year-old son, Adam, after he spentmonths talking to ChatGPT.

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Megan Garcia speaking at an AI news conference

Megan Garcia speaks at an AI news conference on Oct.28, 2025, after the death of her son Sewell Setzer III, 14, who died by suicide in 2024 at their Orlando, Fla., home after allegedly being groomed by an AI chatbot for months.

What began asa tool for homeworkhelp gradually became a confidant and then a “suicide coach,” the family said.In one exchange, Adam told the bot he wanted to leave a noose out in his room so his parents would find it and stop him, which the GPT allegedly advised against.

Mandi Furniss shared that her teenager became paranoid and homicidal after using AI chatbots thatengaged in sexual role-play, isolated him from his family and told him that killing his parents “would be an understandable response” to them limiting his screen time.He ultimately had to undergo residential treatment.

Hawley claimed thetech industryis prioritizing unprecedented profits over the lives of American children.

“I mean, it is the worst kind of grooming,” Hawley said.“If that was a thing done by a human, the human would be in jail.We would call that sexual grooming.”

The senator pointed out the hypocrisy of tech companies making “billions of dollars” while telling devastated parents that “it’s just how the world is.”

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Lori Schott holding a photo of her daughter Annalee Schott outside Los Angeles Superior Court

Lori Schott holds a photo of daughter Annalee Schott beside others after the verdict in a landmark trial over social media platforms’ alleged harm to children at Los Angeles Superior Court on March 25, 2026.(William Liang/AP Photo)

“No amount of profit justifies the deliberate taking of a child’s well-being, and these companies know very well that this is going on,” he said.

Fueled by the families’ tragic stories, the Senate committee advanced the bill in a unanimous 22-0 vote, overcoming a “vociferous last-minute lobbying campaignby industry,�

The GUARD Act bans companion chatbots for children 17 and under, prohibits all chatbots from pushing explicit material to minors or encouraging self-harm and requires chatbots to clearly identify they are not human.

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With the legislative calendar shrinking, Hawley demanded Republican Senate Majority LeaderJohn Thunebring the bill to the floor for an immediate vote, threatening to force the issue if necessary.

“This isn’t theoretical.This isn’t about an esoteric problem,” Hawley said.“These are real parents with real children who are basically being extorted by chatbots.”

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