An Ohio lawmaker wants to ban marriage between humans and A.I. chatbots, arguing that marriage should only be between two humans.
Bill Aims to Prevent AI from Gaining Legal Rights
Marriage equality is back in the Ohio legislature, but this time, it’s not about human couples. A newly proposed bill seeks to ban legal marriages between humans and artificial intelligence programs.
Ohio Rep. Thaddeus Claggett, who chairs the House Technology and Innovation Committee, introduced House Bill 469 to make it illegal for any AI system to be recognized as a spouse or domestic partner. The bill clearly states:
“No AI system shall be recognized as a spouse, domestic partner, or hold any personal legal status analogous to marriage or union with a human or another AI system. Any purported attempt to marry or create a personal union with an AI system is void and has no legal effect.”
Protecting Legal and Financial Authority
Claggett said that the purpose of the bill is to protect human legal rights, not to stop people from forming emotional attachments to AI. He explained that as artificial intelligence continues to evolve, lawmakers want to ensure AI cannot obtain human-like legal powers such as power of attorney or financial authority…