New York Legislature Advances Bill To Prevent AI Chatbots From Providing Medical, Legal Advice to Users

New York lawmakers are advancing legislation aimed at regulating artificial intelligence chatbots to prevent them from offering medical or legal advice or otherwise “impersonating” professionals licensed in the state in fields ranging from physical therapy and optometry to veterinary medicine and architecture.In other words, legislators don’t want ChatGPT or Gemini to be able to answer questions about that mole on users’ elbows, help plan a deck for their backyard, or suggest some exercises to help them recover from a nasty slip on the ice. If the chatbot does answer such questions and something goes awry, they want users to be able to sue the companies that operate them for damages.Last Wednesday, the state senate’s Technology Committee voted 6-0 to advance Senate Bill S7263, which would prohibit AI chatbots from “impersonating certain licensed professionals” such as lawyers or doctors. It would open the AI companies to civil damages caused by chatbots, allowing users to sue for information deemed unsafe or inappropriate.In a press release, the chairman of the technology committee, state Senator Kristen Gonzalez, said the bill is designed to ensure that AI innovation “doesn’t come at the expense of New Yorkers’ safety, especially our kids.”“As Chair of the Internet & Technology Committee, I’m proud of the agenda we passed today,” she said. “People deserve real care from real people. They deserve transparency, accountability, and the promise that their data is secure while utilizing technology.”While supporters of the bill argue it is about protecting New Yorkers, critics say it risks making it harder for residents to access information and advice that they may not otherwise be able to afford. They liken the information available from AI to that available in public libraries across the country.The director of the AI Innovation & Law Program at the University of Texas Law School, Kevin Frazier, tells the Sun that it is “undeniable” that “some people have and will continue to rely on AI systems in ways that lead to tragic or harmful outcomes,” and that the risk may be “especially high” for “vulnerable individuals in emergency or pressing situations.”However, he said that the Supreme Court has “made clear the ‘right to receive information, regardless of their social worth, is fundamental to our free society.’”Mr. Frazier argued that public awareness campaigns and AI literacy efforts, along with “lower barriers to accessing expertise,” would “go a long way to “helping people navigate hard times and pressing circumstances.” “The state’s first answer should not be to deny access to a tool that is becoming more reliable and accurate every day and has the capability to democratize access to research and insights,” he said. SB S7263 comes as several states are working to regulate AI in the name of protecting children and vulnerable adults.On Wednesday, Florida’s Senate passed the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, which would require that chatbot platforms remind users that they are interacting with AI. That bill — which is not expected to make it through the legislature this session — comes amid concerns that the chatbots are encouraging users to engage in self-harm or to commit suicide.There have been at least a dozen lawsuits alleging that chatbots contributed to a suicide or self-harm. Lawmakers in several states have also raised concerns that the chatbots are giving users bad advice on health and other matters. The Trump administration is seeking to stop states from enacting their own AI regulations, arguing instead that there should be a federal approach to the issue. In December, President Trump signed an executive order, directing the Justice Department to sue states over the AI-laws. Mr. Trump’s AI advisor, David Sacks, told reporters that the administration will not target every AI-related law, implying that the federal government would not try to challenge laws focused on “kid safety.”“We’re going to protect. We’re not pushing back on that, but we’re going to push back on the most onerous examples of state regulations,” Mr. Sacks said.

New York Legislature Advances Bill To Prevent AI Chatbots From Providing Medical, Legal Advice to Users

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