Joseph Gordon-Levitt traveled to Utah Tuesday to voice his support for a state bill that demands greater AI transparency from tech companies, as well as greater protections put in place to keep child users safe.
“I’m a dad. That’s why I’m here today. I have two boys and a girl. They’re 10 and 8 and 3, and I am worried for them,” Gordon-Levitt told Utah representatives at the state’s capitol during a House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee meeting. The subject being discussed was H.B. 286, a new bill sponsored by Republican Utah congressman Doug Fiefia.
The bill is designed to force tech companies to “create, implement, and publish public safety and child protection plans” for their AI platforms and chatbots. That is a cause Gordon-Levitt has been vocal about in recent months.
In September, Gordon-Levitt made a New York Times op-ed video calling out Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s chatbots and the “synthetic intimacy” they create with their users, even minors. In the video, Gordon-Levitt criticized Zuckerberg for prioritizing “lots and lots of money” over safety regulations that would regulate and guard children’s interactions with Meta’s AI technologies.
“I’m worried about [my kids] growing up in a future that’s dominated by these amoral AI businesses that have proven time and time again that they are incapable of prioritizing the well-being of kids,” Gordon-Levitt told Utah lawmakers Tuesday. He was joined at the capitol meeting by Rep. Fiefia, who pointed to the story of 16-year-old Adam Raine, a teenager who began using ChatGPT initially to help him with his homework.
However, he eventually began confiding his suicidal thoughts to the chatbot. Rather than terminating the conversation or encouraging him to seek outside help, ChatGPT helped walk him through suicide methods and materials and, at one point, discouraged him from speaking to his mother about his struggles.
“Whenever there’s a tragedy like this, they pay lip service to the families. But I’m sorry. It is clear as day that is spin. It’s PR. It’s marketing,” Gordon-Levitt said Tuesday. “These companies are driven by only that one guiding principle — making money. That’s it. So this is why the AI industry needs laws. The federal government hasn’t done anything about this yet. But thank goodness the states are stepping up.”
“Utah, as far as I understand, has been a leader in the past, protecting kids against these predatory tech companies,” Gordon-Levitt continued. “Now, I think it’s time for Utah to be that leader again. So, ladies and gentlemen of this committee, again, thank you for having me. And I am asking you, as a tech enthusiast and as a businessman and as a fellow American and as a dad, please do the right thing and pass this bill. Thank you.”
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt came to Utah's Capitol today to urge lawmakers to support HB286, which would require AI companies to do more to keep children and others safe. A House committee unanimously approved the bill, sending it on for further consideration #utpol @hitRECordJoe pic.twitter.com/wGSptMqLyf
— Daniel Woodruff (@danielmwoodruff) January 28, 2026
The Utah House committee that gathered together Tuesday unanimously approved the bill following Gordon-Levitt and co.’s remarks, advancing it for further consideration down the line. If it ultimately passes, the bill will force AI companies to release reports transparently explaining their plans to keep users safe, honest disclaimers disclosing the risks of AI technology and incident reports whenever issues arise, as well as create whistleblower protections that do not dissuade employees from speaking up about safety concerns and problems.
Since his New York Times video, Gordon-Levitt has only become a more vocal proponent for stronger AI regulation on both a national and state level. In October, he publicly called out California Governor Gavin Newsom for being “too scared” to sign a bill that would have made Big Tech offer better AI protections for the state’s children. That same month, Gordon-Levitt signed a petition calling for the development of AI-powered superintelligence to cease until more safeguards are created to protect humanity from the technology’s possible risks.
In January, Gordon-Levitt was one of over 800 artists to sign a new anti-AI campaign called “Stealing Isn’t Innovation.” Some of the campaign’s other signatories include Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Questlove, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, “Pluribus” creator Vince Gilligan and others.
In October 2025, “Send Help” star Rachel McAdams signed on to lead a new Netflix feature film about AI, which Gordon-Levitt co-wrote and is attached to direct. Plot details for the film are being kept under wraps for the time being.
