Australia Moves to Ban Emotionally Intimate AI Chatbots for Children
Legislation passed by the lower house introduces a digital duty of care, banning chatbots designed to replace human friendships for children.
At a glance
- Australia's lower house passed a digital duty of care bill targeting harmful content, with aims to enact the law by the end of 2026.
- The legislation incorporates a ban on AI chatbots that simulate emotional intimacy and encourage children to rely on non-human agents.
- The Greens and crossbench MPs are pushing to expand the telecommunications ombudsman's power to handle social media disputes.
Australia's House of Representatives passed sweeping digital duty of care legislation on Wednesday, introducing measures to ban artificial intelligence chatbots that simulate emotional intimacy with children. The bill, which the Labor government aims to enact by the end of 2026, heads to the Senate amid parliamentary debate over platform accountability and consumer complaints mechanisms.
The proposed laws establish an overarching legal requirement for tech firms, gaming platforms, apps, and social networks to maintain a safe online environment. Under an amendment proposed by crossbench MP Kate Chaney and accepted by the government, platforms must prohibit conduct or material that mimics emotional closeness and fosters a child's reliance on artificial systems rather than human relationships. The amendment follows remarks by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who cautioned against young people treating automated agents as their best friends.
Chaney also secured a change requiring social media companies to provide an accessible, prominent, and easy-to-use option for users to opt out of algorithmic recommendations. Communications Minister Anika Wells noted that the broader framework targets harms including content promoting suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, terrorism, and misogyny.
Opposition and Calls for an Ombudsman
The legislation cleared the lower house despite resistance from the Coalition and One Nation, who voted against the measure after labeling the framework an Orwellian censorship system. Wells rejected those allegations and challenged opponents to offer constructive amendments rather than political slogans.
While the Greens support the duty of care model, the party has established a Senate inquiry reporting in late November and intends to push for tougher penalties and the right for individuals to take legal action against tech companies.
Simultaneously, pressure is growing to establish an external watchdog for online platforms. Independent MP Sophie Scamps proposed giving the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman power to investigate social media companies and handle user complaints regarding hacked accounts. Although the government rejected the proposal in the lower house, the Greens plan to revisit the issue in the Senate.
Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert endorsed expanding her office's remit, noting that while the duty of care holds platforms accountable, users currently lack an independent body when platforms fail to address grievances. Gebert suggested an ombudsman scheme funded by tech firms would deliver genuine accountability.
Source: The Guardian Technology.
Questions and answers
- What does Australia's digital duty of care bill do?
- The legislation obligates tech platforms, social media, and gaming services to ensure user safety by curbing harmful material and banning AI chatbots that foster emotional intimacy with children.
- Why are emotionally intimate AI chatbots being restricted?
- Lawmakers accepted an amendment to prevent automated agents from fostering a child's dependence on AI in place of human relationships, following warnings from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
- Who opposes or seeks changes to the legislation?
- The Coalition and One Nation opposed the bill in the lower house, while the Greens and independent MPs want stronger penalties, user litigation rights, and an external ombudsman for tech complaints.
