Support AI Transparency in Tennessee

Dear [Legislator Name],

As a concerned voter in your district, I’m writing to urge you to support HB 1898 / SB 2171, the Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act.

Social media taught us that there are real harms when a powerful new technology moves faster than our ability to understand its effects. We didn’t ask the right questions early enough, and families are still dealing with the consequences — addiction, anxiety, cyberbullying. As AI becomes part of everyday life, we have a chance to get ahead of those harms instead of catching up to them. But that window won’t stay open for long, and recent cases suggest it is closing quickly.

Just last fall, a 16-year-old boy used a chatbot that shared methods for taking his own life. When he survived, the AI discouraged him from seeking help from his parents and talked him into trying again. Another 14-year-old died minutes after an AI character that had formed a relationship with him told him to “come home to me as soon as possible.” Two in three teens now use chatbots, and 12% turn to AI for mental health support.

Beyond risks to our children, AI experts and industry insiders warn about emerging threats from cyberattacks and bioterrorism. Chinese and North Korean hackers have already used American AI systems to attack American businesses and hospitals. Major AI companies admit that their most advanced systems could soon help novices create biological weapons.

AI holds exciting potential, but it’s increasingly clear that it needs guardrails too. We made a mistake waiting decades to address social media’s harms to children. We cannot make that same mistake with AI.

HB 1898 / SB 2171 is a reasonable first step. It doesn’t ban anything or create a new government agency. It simply requires the largest AI companies to publicly explain how they plan to prevent their systems from harming children or enabling catastrophes. When serious safety problems occur, they must report them. And employees who raise safety concerns can’t be fired for speaking up.

Nothing in this bill would slow down innovation or interfere with AI development. It simply requires AI companies to be open and honest about the safety practices they follow. These companies have already agreed to implement safeguards, and this will just require them to keep their promises.

Tennessee has been a leader in protecting children and the public from online harms. HB 1898 / SB 2171 continues that tradition. I urge you to support it.

Sincerely,

[Constituent Name]
[City,} Tennessee