Congress ramps up bipartisan AI efforts

• The bill also offers an early test of whether Congress can draft rules that survive First Amendment challenges, which has been the fate of many state-level kids' online safety bills.

Driving the news: The CHATBOT Act, led by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), would require AI companies to build "family accounts" so parents can control how kids use chatbots.

• It would also add privacy protections, limit manipulative features and ban targeted ads to minors.
• Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) are co-sponsors.

Committee staffers say their goal is to pass a bill that can be signed into law without being struck down in court due to First Amendment challenges.

• They said the bill draws on recent hearings and input from parents' advocates, and that AI companies have seen it and they expect to make edits and changes.

How it works: The legislation would require "family accounts" for children under 13, along with parental consent and default high-safety settings. It would also limit addictive features and give parents tools to monitor use.

• It would direct federal agencies to study how chatbot use affects kids' mental health and development.

The big picture: The bill comes as Capitol Hill begins to stress-test AI policy ideas, even as the broader path forward remains unclear and the Trump administration calls for light-touch, pro-innovation regulation.

• Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) on Monday introduced the American Leadership in AI Act, which would codify many of the recommendations published in the 2024 bipartisan House AI task force report on AI.
• Another AI bill from Obernolte is expected in the coming weeks, his office told Axios.

Between the lines: Lawmakers in both chambers are ramping up work on AI, but the legislative landscape is getting more crowded — and blurrier.