‘Emotional intimacy’ from AI chatbots would be banned under Australia’s digital duty of care laws

Labor government under pressure to create social media watchdog as new online safety standards bill passes lower house

The federal government wants to ban AI chatbots which seek to create “emotional intimacy” after prime minister Anthony Albanese raised the alarm in a heartfelt speech about children treating these agents as their “best friend”.

But Labor is coming under increasing pressure to empower the telecommunications ombudsman to become a watchdog for social media and AI to give Australians an external complaints mechanism and allow the “naming and shaming” of big tech.

The digital duty of care bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and will be debated by the Senate in coming weeks.