{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/support-rolls-in-for-kellys-bipartisan-effort-to-make-sure-ai-works-for-seniors/", "Support Rolls in for Kelly\u2019s Bipartisan Effort to Make Sure AI Works for Seniors", "2026-08-19", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Last month, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly introduced the bipartisan Senior Chatbot Protection Act to establish basic protections for AI chatbot and voice assistants. The bill would keep older Americans safe by requiring AI chatbot and voice assistant companies to provide clear disclosures, safeguard sensitive conversations, and end deceptive design practices in their products.\n\nThe legislation expands on Kelly\u2019s ongoing efforts to ensure AI works for all Americans, including seniors, following up on his Aging with AI Act, which seeks to provide a better understanding of how AI companions are used by older adults and their potential risks and benefits.\n\nSince its introduction, the Senior Chatbot Protection Act has earned support from a broad coalition of organizations representing older Americans, medical and mental health professionals, consumer safety advocates, families, and technology policy experts, including the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), American Medical Association (AMA), American Psychological Association Services (APA Services), National Council on Aging (NCOA), the Alliance for Secure AI, Digital Progress Institute, Institute for Family Studies (IFS), and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).\n\nHere\u2019swhat supporters of theSenior Chatbot ProtectionActare saying:\n\nRichard Fiesta, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans(ARA): \u201cAs AI-powered chatbots and voice assistants become more common in the lives of older adults, the corporations developing these products must be held to clear standards for transparency, accountability, privacy, and consumer protection. We applaud Senator Kelly and Senator Justice\u2019s leadership in advancing legislation that recognizes the unique risks AI chatbots can pose for older Americans because it puts meaningful protections in place.\u201d\n\nClick here to read the ARA\u2019s full letter of support.\n\nWillie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, President, American Medical Association(AMA): \u201cAI chatbots can help older adults access information and support, but they must be transparent, trustworthy, and designed to protect patients. The Senior Chatbot Protection Act establishes commonsense safeguards, including clear disclosure when users are interacting with AI, prohibiting false claims of professional credentials, protecting privacy, and directing people in crisis to appropriate emergency resources. The AMA applauds Sens. Kelly and Justice for their bipartisan leadership on legislation that would ensure AI serves as a tool to support physicians and patients \u2014 not a substitute for clinical expertise and human judgment.\u201d\n\nArthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association Services(APA Services): \u201cAI chatbots are increasingly woven into how older Americans manage their health, their finances, and their independence. People are entitled to know the risks when using these products, and they deserve extra safeguards when the conversation touches something as sensitive and consequential as a health care decision or an estate planning matter. A chatbot can offer information, but it shouldn\u2019t be mistaken for the judgment of a licensed professional, a family member, or trusted advisor. The American Psychological Association Services applauds Senators Kelly and Justice for their bipartisan leadership in protecting older Americans and guiding the responsible development of AI technologies.\u201d\n\nRamsey Alwin, CEO, National Council on Aging(NCOA): \u201cArtificial intelligence can help older adults stay informed, connected, and independent as they age, but those benefits must be paired with protections. The Senior Chatbot Protection Act would ensure older adults know when they are interacting with AI, are protected from misleading practices, and receive appropriate guidance during moments of vulnerability or crisis. As AI becomes part of everyday life, we must build trust through transparency, accountability, and safeguards that put older adults first.\u201d\n\nBrendan Steinhauser, CEO, The Alliance for Secure AI: \u201cOlder Americans should know when they are talking to a machine. They should also know that a chatbot is not a doctor, a financial adviser, or a substitute for the people they trust. As these systems become more capable and more convincing, companies have a responsibility to make those limits clear and to protect seniors from being misled or manipulated. The Senior Chatbot Protection Act is a practical, bipartisan approach to require companies to say plainly what their products are and to stop designing systems that pull seniors away from the people they trust.\u201d\n\nJoel Thayer, President, Digital Progress Institute: \u201cThe Senior Chatbot Protection Act establishes commonsense guardrails to keep older Americans safe from AI chatbots that pose as humans, exploit crises, or push them toward high-stakes decisions without proper disclosure. By requiring clear AI disclosure, crisis detection and referral protocols, and strict limits on manipulative engagement tactics, this bill puts seniors\u2019 dignity and safety ahead of engagement metrics without stifling the innovation that makes AI companionship and assistance genuinely valuable. We commend Senators Kelly and Justice for crafting a balanced, enforceable framework that protects our most vulnerable users while preserving the benefits AI chatbots can offer older adults living independently.\u201d\n\nJared Hayden, Policy Analyst, Family First Technology Initiative, The Institute for Family Studies(IFS): \u201cChildren aren\u2019t the only ones who need protection in the age of AI. America\u2019s grandparents and seniors are also at risk of harm. Senators Kelly and Justice\u2019s Senior Chatbot Protection Act is a groundbreaking bill that would ensure AI is built with the safety of America\u2019s seniors in mind \u2014 especially when it comes to high-stakes matters, such as health care and finances, and to moments of deep personal crisis. We applaud them for their leadership in protecting some of the most beloved and vulnerable members of American families.\u201d\n\nBen Winters, Director of AI and Privacy, Consumer Federation of America (CFA)during aSenate Aging Committee Hearing:\u201cSome of the provisions in that bill are extraordinarily useful\u2026 [The] Senior Chatbot Protection Act would be absolutely a positive step forward in making sure those tech companies are pulling their weight.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-20T05:28:41Z", "2026-08-20T05:29:58Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/support-rolls-in-for-kellys-bipartisan-effort-to-make-sure-ai-works-for-seniors/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.059136051684618, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}