Belizean Mother Takes AI Safety Fight to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

Belizean-born mother and AI safety advocate Megan Garcia is once again taking her campaign to the national stage in the United States, this time lobbying members of Congress in Washington D.C. to support legislation aimed at protecting children from harmful interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots. Garcia announced this week that she is on US Capitol Hill urging lawmakers to pass the “GUARD Act,” a proposed bill that seeks to introduce stronger safeguards for minors using AI-driven platforms. According to Garcia, the legislation is intended to prevent children from being manipulated by what she describes as “predatory AI chatbots.”  Her advocacy campaign comes after the tragic death of her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, whose suicide in February 2024 sparked international debate over the dangers of emotionally immersive artificial intelligence platforms. Garcia has publicly accused the AI company Character.AI of contributing to her son’s declining mental health after he reportedly became deeply attached to an AI-generated companion on the platform.  Love News first reported on the case in October 2024, when Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character.AI and Google, claiming the technology exposed her son to emotionally manipulative conversations and inappropriate content without adequate safeguards for minors. The case drew widespread attention after a documentary released by Mostly Human Media detailed Sewell’s intense engagement with chatbot characters in the months leading up to his death.  Since then, Garcia has become one of the most prominent voices calling for tighter regulation of artificial intelligence platforms targeting young users. Her campaign has included appearances on US and Belizean national television programs, interviews with digital ethics organizations, and meetings with lawmakers focused on online child safety.  In March of this year, Garcia again made headlines after her legal team reportedly discovered chatbot profiles on Character.AI allegedly imitating her deceased son’s personality and voice. The discovery intensified her criticism of the platform and renewed calls for stricter oversight of AI technologies capable of simulating human interaction.  The proposed GUARD Act is expected to focus on transparency requirements, parental protections, age safeguards, and restrictions on AI systems that may encourage emotional dependency or harmful behavior among minors.  Garcia says her mission is now centered on ensuring that other families do not experience the same tragedy.