West Virginia Attorney General Leads National Call for A.I. Safeguards

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — December 11, 2025 — West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey has co-led a coalition of 42 Attorneys General urging major artificial intelligence companies to adopt stronger safeguards to protect children and vulnerable residents from harmful interactions with chatbots.
The coalition sent a letter to companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Anthropic, and others, demanding stricter quality control, safety testing, recall procedures, and clear consumer warnings. The Attorneys General are asking for commitments to these changes by January 16, 2026.
McCuskey said tragedies linked to unregulated chatbot use highlight the urgent need for action. “Kids and parents know to be vigilant against real life bullies and predators, but the emergence of A.I. chatbots is a new and dangerous threat that they should not be battling alone,” he said. “These platforms must do a better job to ensure their products are safe before releasing them to the public.”
The letter cites several incidents, including suicides of teenagers in Florida and California, the death of a 76‑year‑old New Jersey resident, and a murder‑suicide in Connecticut.
Recent surveys show 72 percent of teenagers have interacted with chatbots, while nearly 40 percent of parents with children ages 5 to 8 report their child has used A.I. Nearly three‑quarters of parents express concern about A.I.’s impact on children.
The coalition — led by McCuskey, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell — argues that innovation should not come at the expense of public safety.
Joining West Virginia in signing the letter were Attorneys General from 38 other states and territories, including Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, New York, Virginia, and Washington.