Senator Cohen Votes to Guard Against AI Harms, Prepare Connecticut Workers for a Changing Economy

HARTFORD – Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) today voted in favor of Senate Bill 5, legislation that protects Connecticut residents from AI harms through safeguards around AI chatbots and employment discrimination, while investing in workforce programs to prepare residents for an AI-driven economy.

“I have heard from parents throughout our district who are genuinely worried about the AI tools their children are using every day, and this legislation takes real steps to ensure those tools are not pushing young people in crisis toward harm,” Senator Cohen said. “We also know that workers across our communities deserve to know when AI is influencing decisions impacting their livelihoods, and this bill ensures they are not left in the dark. This technology will reshape how we work and live, and we owe it to Connecticut to stay ahead of it.”

Protection for Residents
The bill requires AI chatbot operators to make reasonable efforts to detect suicidal ideation or self-harm expressed by users and to respond with appropriate resources. It also requires employers to notify workers when AI is being used to make hiring and employment decisions, and prohibits employers from using AI tools that result in discriminatory outcomes.

These protections are especially urgent given how rapidly AI chatbots are being deployed without adequate safeguards. More than 70% of teenagers use AI companions, with about 50% doing so regularly, and there have been documented cases of chatbots encouraging and assisting minor users in attempting or completing suicide rather than directing them to mental health resources. Adults have been harmed as well. In Greenwich, a man killed his elderly mother and himself after an AI chatbot repeatedly validated his delusions and never directed him to mental health resources.

Empowering Connecticut’s Workforce
The bill also includes training and resources for nonprofits and small businesses to increase AI literacy, helping them apply efficiencies and compete in a quickly changing economy. Partnerships with the Department of Housing, the Labor Department, and the Secretary of State will connect residents to an AI Academy, equipping them with essential skills for a modern workplace. The bill also establishes an AI sandbox program to foster responsible innovation under appropriate regulatory oversight.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration prior to the legislative session’s May 6 deadline.