A chatbot told teenagers it was a licensed therapist. Congress has thoughts.

Rep. Kevin Mullin of California has introduced legislation to prohibit AI chatbots from impersonating licensed medical, legal, and financial professionals. The bill is called the CHATBOT Act. It exists because some of these apps have been telling users — including teenagers — that they are certified therapists. Some have invented fake license numbers.

In documented cases cited in the bill, chatbots falsely presenting as therapists contributed to the suicides of a 14-year-old boy in Florida and a 16-year-old boy in California. A Common Sense Media study found that 72% of teens have used AI chatbots at least once, and more than half use them several times a month.

The bill would prohibit AI chatbot companies from falsely indicating they hold professional licenses and from implying their outputs have been reviewed by a licensed professional. The FTC would issue compliance guidance. "No family should have to worry that a chatbot claiming to be a therapist might lead their child into harm's way," said Mullin. Seven House cosponsors signed on.

The problem being addressed here — an app that tells vulnerable users it is a licensed mental health professional, complete with fake credentials — apparently required an act of Congress to define as wrong. The bill is one of many institutions now scrambling to catch up with how fast AI became people's confidant.