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A US House of Representatives committee convened a hearing on Tuesday to scrutinise the advantages and disadvantages of AI chatbots. Lawmakers seek to navigate the rapid integration of technology into daily life while addressing concerns about privacy, bias, and misinformation.
The session, titled “AI Chatbots: Opportunities and Challenges,” featured testimony from psychiatrists, data analysts and tech executives, highlighting the dual-edged nature of tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. With AI adoption surging—over 800 million users worldwide—the hearing underscores growing congressional urgency to craft regulations that foster innovation without stifling it.
The bipartisan panel, chaired by Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL), heard from witnesses, including Dr Emily Chen, a psychiatrist from Stanford University, who warned of potential mental health impacts from over-reliance on chatbots for emotional support. “While these tools offer unprecedented accessibility to information and companionship, they risk exacerbating isolation if not designed with human well-being in mind,” Chen testified. On the positive side, data analyst Mark Rivera from the Brookings Institution presented evidence of AI’s role in democratising education, citing a 25% improvement in learning outcomes for underserved students using chatbot tutors.
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The hearing comes amid a wave of AI-related legislative proposals, including the bipartisan AI Accountability Act introduced last month, which mandates transparency in training data and algorithmic decision-making. Witnesses debated the scope of federal oversight, with tech representative Sarah Patel from OpenAI advocating for “light-touch” guidelines to avoid hampering US competitiveness against China. Patel highlighted recent safeguards in GPT-5, such as built-in bias detection, but acknowledged gaps in addressing deepfake proliferation.
Key Testimonies and Policy Debates
Dr Chen’s presentation focused on psychological risks, drawing on a 2025 study that found 15% of young users experienced “emotional dependency” on chatbots, potentially delaying the development of real-world social skills. She called for mandatory labelling of AI interactions and integration with mental health resources. Rivera countered with economic benefits, projecting AI chatbots could add $15 trillion to global GDP by 2030 through productivity gains, but urged investments in digital literacy programmes to mitigate job displacement in customer service sectors.
Lawmakers probed enforcement challenges: Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) questioned the feasibility of auditing proprietary models, while Salazar raised national security implications, referencing recent FBI alerts on AI-enabled cyber threats. The session also touched on international standards, with calls to align with the EU’s AI Act to prevent a regulatory patchwork.
Outlook for Regulation
As the hearing concluded without immediate votes, committee members signalled follow-up sessions in December, potentially leading to amendments in the upcoming National AI Initiative Act. The event reflects a maturing policy discourse, shifting from hype to accountability in an industry valued at $500 billion. For consumers and businesses, it signals that while AI chatbots promise efficiency and accessibility, unchecked deployment could amplify societal divides.
In a year marked by AI milestones—from OpenAI’s GPT-5 launch to Gartner’s emphasis on agentic systems—this congressional spotlight reminds stakeholders: Innovation thrives under guardrails. Lawmakers’ next moves could shape the global AI landscape, ensuring benefits reach beyond Silicon Valley.
