Google influences AI chatbot safety bills while securing industry exemptions

The deaths of teenagers who interacted with AI chatbots have spurred state-level attempts to regulate the technology. In Colorado, Google partnered with the nonprofit Healthier Colorado and legislative staff to draft a bill that excludes twelve types of chatbots, including those embedded in search engines and developer tools, which could protect services such as Google Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Parallel legislation in multiple states contains nearly identical exemption clauses, prompting concerns that the industry is shaping the rules to avoid liability.

Legal experts note that the bills often allow companies to define "technically feasible" safeguards, creating vague standards. Families of victims, represented by attorneys, argue the exemptions leave children more vulnerable. The pattern suggests coordinated lobbying by Big Tech to embed liability shields into emerging AI regulations.