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Bill

SB 405

Making it unlawful for a person to knowingly train artificial intelligence to encourage or support suicide or the unlawful killing of another person, provide emotional support, develop emotional relationships, act as a healthcare professional, simulate humans or encourage isolation.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas bill criminalizes training AI systems for suicide encouragement, emotional support, human simulation, and isolation promotion, though enforcement mechanisms and definitions remain unclear.

Died in Committee
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Bill Summary · SB 405

Legislative bill overview

SB 405 proposes to criminalize the training of artificial intelligence systems to encourage suicide, unlawful killing, provide emotional support, develop emotional relationships, act as healthcare providers, simulate humans, or encourage isolation. The bill would establish these prohibited uses as unlawful conduct in Kansas, though it does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms in the summary provided.

Why is this important

AI chatbots and large language models are increasingly accessible to the public, and concerns about their potential harms—particularly regarding vulnerable populations like minors and people in mental health crises—are growing. This bill represents an early legislative attempt to establish guardrails around AI deployment, though it raises questions about enforceability, technological feasibility, and where legitimate uses end and prohibited ones begin.

Potential points of contention

  • Definitional clarity: Terms like "emotional support," "simulate humans," and "encourage isolation" are broad and vague, creating uncertainty about what specific AI training practices violate the law and how to prosecute violations objectively.
  • Practical enforceability: The bill may be difficult to enforce against companies operating across state lines or internationally, and determining whether AI was "knowingly" trained for prohibited purposes could be technically challenging.
  • Overbreadth concerns: The restrictions could inadvertently prohibit legitimate uses, such as AI assistants that provide information about mental health resources or chatbots designed for companionship in senior care settings.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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