Senator Hochadel Votes to Protect Connecticut Families from AI Harms, Invest in Workers’ Future

HARTFORD – Senator Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden) 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.

“As an educator, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly new technologies can reshape the lives of students and working families, and how much damage is done when those changes occur without guardrails,” Senator Hochadel said. “AI chatbots are already in the hands of teenagers across Meriden and every community in this state. Without proper safeguards, they can push vulnerable young people toward crisis rather than away from it, and workers can lose jobs to discriminatory algorithms they never knew were being used against them. This bill begins to build those safeguards, so no one is left behind by a technology they never had a say in.”

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.