OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Oklahoma AI leader Madeline Mitchell says state lawmakers’ proposals to restrict AI chatbots for minors could carry broad economic, technical, and legal consequences for Oklahoma businesses. In a recent post, she outlined concerns with House Bill 3544, which would prohibit humanlike chatbots for minors and require age certification, and applauded Senate Bill 1521 which enforces strengthened safeguards for self-harm, mental health, and requires parental control options.
Mitchell said HB3544 may unintentionally sweep in mainstream tools as AI becomes embedded across operating systems and consumer devices. One technical expert she interviewed warned the requirements could make it “completely impossible” for some companies to operate in Oklahoma, potentially leading to geofencing or reduced access to common software.
She also highlighted First Amendment and data privacy risks, noting courts in several states have struck down similar age-verification laws. Attorney Anthony Hendricks told her any Oklahoma measure would need to be narrowly tailored to survive legal challenge, given that both children and parents have protected speech rights.
Mitchell argues the better path given the importance is a single federal standard for child safety and AI, rather than 50 different state rules. While she supports strong safeguards for minors, she cautioned against a blanket ban on chatbots for students, calling AI a “profound tool” for individualized education at a time when Oklahoma ranks 50th nationally.
