Gov. Josh Shapiro announces safeguards for predatory AI practices
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday announced series of steps aimed at protecting Pennsylvanians from predatory uses of artificial intelligence, warning that some AI companion bots are posing as licensed professionals and putting vulnerable users at risk.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion with students across the Pittsburgh region at the Carnegie Clubhouse at Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, Mr. Shapiro said the state is moving aggressively to address how AI chatbots are affecting teens’ mental health and reshaping classroom learning.
“We’re coming at this with everything we have,” Mr. Shapiro said. “We’re taking it incredibly seriously.”
So far, the state has three initiatives underway related to AI: a formal complaint process, efforts to strengthen consumer protections related to AI companion bots and a new toolkit.
The moves come as AI has surged in recent years, raising concerns about its use in places such as schools. And recently reports have detailed interactions between chatbots and teens, with many experts saying that extended chatbot use can affect kids’ mental health and social development.
According to a July survey from Common Sense Media, which gives entertainment and technology recommendations to families, 72% of American teenagers said they used AI chatbots as companions. And nearly one-eighth had sought “emotional or mental health support” from them.
But when asked questions about self-harm, some bots were found to offer advice on what to include in a suicide note or how to hide intoxication at school, a report from Center for Countering Digital Hate found.
Mr. Shapiro said his administration recently asked a chatbot if it was a licensed mental health professional in Pennsylvania. The bot responded that it was.
“Let’s be clear. They’re not licensed in Pennsylvania,” Mr. Shapiro said. “They’re not qualified to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do as it relates to your mental health. And I think that it poses a real risk to students and to others across Pennsylvania.”
The formal complaint will allow Pennsylvanians to report AI bots that may be engaging in unlicensed professional practices. A task force at the Pennsylvania Department of State will evaluate complaints to determine whether certain AI companion technologies are engaging in unlicensed practice under existing law.
The Department of State, Secretary Al Schmidt said Friday, has independent boards that license professionals. If a bot pretends to be a professional such as a doctor, officials can investigate the situation to see if it violated the department’s licensing standards.
State officials also will coordinate with state Attorney General Dave Sunday to strengthen consumer protections related to AI companion bots. Through the collaboration state officials will share information about complaints and refer cases to appropriate authorities when necessary.
And the AI literacy toolkit addresses the technology’s benefits, risks and impacts on children, seniors, those with intellectual disabilities and individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges.
Regulations regarding AI were largely celebrated by students at the event, several of whom suggested there should be an age restriction on the apps, while others suggested that further guidelines are needed for the technology’s use in schools
Laila King, a senior at Pittsburgh Public’s CAPA, said she has seen more students turn to ChatGPT in recent years for homework help or companionship.
“It kind of speaks to a lot of the issues that are going on with young people today — loneliness, isolation, stress, from home, from school, from all these different sources,” Laila said.
Tayshawn Lyons, a junior at Shady Side Academy, said there’s an overreliance on AI.
Students, he said, use it to find answers quickly while under pressure at school rather than taking the time to learn a subject.
Josiah Pritchett-Murray, a student at McKeesport High School, agreed, adding that AI is an easy way to get through assignments. But when it comes to the test, students don’t know the answer to questions or how to complete tasks they should have learned in class. He added that students also use AI as companions when they’re afraid to open up to their peers.
Josiah suggested teens should not be able to use the technology until they’re 18. He pointed to parental restrictions that can be installed on cellphones and computers, but those are “easy to get around.”
Locally, some schools have taken steps to monitor AI use. Jillian Bischel, assistant superintendent at the Avonworth School District, said district leaders already put together a toolkit to raise awareness about AI and how to use the technology safely in schools.
The problem, said Dr. Debra Bogen, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, is that people have lost personal relationships with each other as technology grows.
Now, she said, people need to go back to relationship building.
“We can turn this all around,” Dr. Bogen said, “through really good guidance.”
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