The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced legislation Thursday that would ban artificial intelligence companion chatbots for minors and establish new restrictions on AI platforms that could expose children to harmful content.

The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act was cosponsored by Senators Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, representing rare bipartisan agreement on technology regulation.

The proposed legislation would prohibit AI companions specifically designed for users under 18 years old. The bill also aims to prevent AI chatbots from exposing children to sexual or other harmful content through enhanced content moderation requirements.

The committee's unanimous approval sends the bill to the full Senate for consideration, though no timeline has been announced for floor action. The legislation reflects growing congressional concern about the potential risks artificial intelligence tools may pose to minors.

The bill would require age verification mechanisms to prevent underage users from accessing AI companion services and establish guidelines for responsible AI dialogue systems when interacting with younger users.