Alabama's AI regulation push: balancing child safety with innovation in a data-driven state

Alabama lawmakers are taking on the "colossal task" of regulating artificial intelligence to protect children, balancing safety with innovation. The state's Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Children's Safety is exploring rules for chatbots, data privacy, and age verification, drawing on models from Colorado and Connecticut. For builders, the emerging framework signals clearer disclosure requirements and restrictions on engagement tactics.

What happened

The Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Children's Safety - a group of lawmakers, child advocates, and state agency representatives - heard from experts across the country at its monthly meeting. Andrew Kingman, president of Mariner Strategies, advised lawmakers to ensure regulatory language is clear, noting that businesses prefer consistency and certainty across states. He cited laws passed this year in Colorado and Connecticut as good models: they require clear disclosure to minors that chatbots are not human and prohibit rewards to encourage engagement.

Kingman also cautioned against requiring ID-based age verification for chatbots, arguing it deprives users of anonymity and leads to more data collection, not less. Nancy Brinson, an associate professor at the University of Alabama, explained that chatbots collect both explicit data (name, age, location) and implicit data (interests, mood, personality), which could be harmful if shared without transparency. A 2024 study from Beijing Normal University found adolescents were likely to become dependent on AI chatbots, and a 2026 Drexel University study linked such dependence to academic struggles.

Why AI builders should care

Alabama is looking at cross-state regulatory models that could become a template for other states. Builders who deploy chatbots or AI tools accessible to minors should anticipate:

• Disclosure obligations: clearly stating that a chatbot is not human.
• Restrictions on engagement rewards: no points or incentives designed to keep minors interacting.
• Data collection transparency: explaining what data is collected and how it is used.

Parental control tools and education are also being discussed as core parts of future legislation. Following Colorado and Connecticut could reduce litigation risk for companies, as those laws have not been challenged on First Amendment grounds.

Practical implications

If Alabama moves forward, builders will need to update user interfaces and terms of service for minor-facing products. Experts like Nancy Brinson emphasized that legislation should inform parents and provide active mediation tools to monitor children's data privacy. Sen. Matt Woods noted that parental control over children's information will be a key consideration. Builders should also prepare for potential requirements around age estimation (rather than strict ID verification) to balance privacy and safety.

Caveats

The process is still exploratory. Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger described it as a step-by-step effort, and draft legislation is expected next session. National groups like NetChoice have opposed age verification laws on First Amendment grounds. Additionally, a December 2025 executive order from President Trump warned states against "onerous" AI laws, threatening to withhold broadband funding. Builders should monitor how federal and state tensions play out, as final rules may shift.