Sens. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D–Conn.) want to strangle generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) infants like ChatGPT and Bard in their cribs. How? By stripping them of the protection of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which reads, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."
"Section 230 embodies that principle that we should all be responsible for our own actions and statements online, but generally not those of others," explains the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "The law prevents most civil suits against users or services that are based on what others say." By protecting free speech, Section 230 enables the proliferation and growth of online platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Yelp and allows them to function as robust open forums for the exchange of information and for debate, both civil and not. Section 230 also protects other online services ranging from dating apps like Tinder and Grindr to service recommendation sites like Tripadvisor and Healthgrades.
