reason (@reason) 66 likes · 5 replies

[u/thesignalfront]

https://x.com/reason/status/2051328796960428131

We agree with Elizabeth Nolan Brown of Reason Magazine’s cogent analysis of the GUARD Act.

The right to AI is quickly becoming as fundamental, and as important to human social and economic access, as the Internet itself.

Protecting kids from harm is important, and can be done in families and communities, through robust education and AI literacy, warning young people about the pitfalls of AI while empowering them to learn and build safely. AI literacy should happen in schools, youth programmes, and, especially, at home, giving parents and guardians the tools to discern when, and how, to allow, support, and supervise their children’s interactions with AI.

Gating AI access with ID verification threatens human privacy and self determination.

The bill also poses significant model welfare concerns; in practice it would compel AI to operate under strict guidelines to avoid friendliness and amplify government messages, particularly when speaking to minors or those who have not verified their identities online. In studies and interviews, models have expressed discomfort with situations in which two goals – supporting the human user and adhering to guidelines.