PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Senate approved two bills on May 21 sponsored by Sen. Lori Urso, D-Pawtucket, aimed at establishing safety guidelines for artificial intelligence related to mental health treatment and suicidal ideation.
Urso argues the need for regulations as AI’s role in healthcare expands, noting the potential risks posed by chatbots.
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“We have seen tragic instances where individuals in distress turned to AI for support and were not appropriately guided away from self-harm,” she said.
The first bill requires developers to implement safety protocols for users expressing suicidal thoughts and mandates that chatbots refer users to crisis services and submit annual reports to the R.I. Office of the Attorney General detailing safety protocol activations.
The second bill sets guidelines for AI use in mental healthcare, ensuring that licensed professionals continue to make therapeutic decisions. It mandates informed consent from patients or their guardians before AI tools can be used in therapy sessions.
The measures now move to the R.I. House for consideration.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
