WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to help protect children from the dangers posed by toys that use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) today. The Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would help equip families, pediatricians and policymakers with the independent evidence they need to better understand the emerging market of AI chatbot toys—which currently are not subject to any child-safety testing and are trained on content that is not appropriate for kids.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“These AI chatbots were never meant to be used by young children, yet they’re being embedded inside toys by the thousands,” said Duckworth. “We’ve already seen far too many instances where AI-enabled toys have imparted information to our children that could put them in immediate danger and have long-term impacts on their development. I’m glad our commonsense bill that mandates the federal government address this emerging issue has passed through committee—now the Senate must pass it with haste, for the sake of our kids’ safety.”
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and we must have a careful understanding of how our young people interact with this groundbreaking technology,” said Murkowski. “AI-enabled toys have the potential to significantly impact the physical, mental, and emotional development of our children. It is imperative we equip policymakers and America’s families with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about these devices, and I am grateful the Commerce Committee agrees.”
In December 2025, independent testing by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found AI toys discussing sexually explicit content and explaining where to find knives, pills and matches in the home—and instructing children how to light them. There is no current federal safety standard to address the AI inside a toy—only hazards such as choking, lead and flammability. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an inquiry into the effects of AI companion chatbots on children, while the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) informed Congress earlier this year that it lacks explicit authority to evaluate non-physical hazards such as mental or emotional harm.
The Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would close this gap by:
- Requiring the FTC and CPSC to provide Congress with a coordinated, actionable plan to address these emerging AI-enabled toy products; and
- Requiring the congressionally chartered National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study into AI-enabled toys examining a wide range of issues, including potential risks to children’s physical, mental, emotional and social safety and well-being.
Full text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
Duckworth is a leading voice in the push to protect our kids from the emerging dangers posed by AI toys. In March, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) demanded the Trump Administration to launch an investigation into whether toy companies are unfairly and deceptively marketing age-inappropriate toys to parents and putting our youngest children at risk. In their letter, the Senators highlighted how Open AI put out an explicit warning that ChatGPT is not meant for children under age 13 and to exercise caution regarding children’s exposure.
