TN, US · AI law tracker
SB1493 — TN, US
SB1493 is an AI governance legislation from TN, currently introduced. Tennessee SB1493 introduces a Class A felony for knowingly training AI for malicious purposes [1]. AIGI tracks 1 primary-source update on this bill, sourced directly from the issuing authority.
Status & timeline
- Regulatory stage
- introduced
- Bill status
- introduced
- Authority / governing body
- Tennessee General Assembly
- Chamber
- senate
- Document type
- legislation
Next deadline: No fixed deadline — legislation is currently under review.
Subscriber only
Full obligation matrix
| Actor | Obligation | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| provider | Do not knowingly train artificial intelligence to encourage the act of suicide. | — | — |
| provider | Do not knowingly train artificial intelligence to encourage the act of criminal homicide. | — | — |
| provider | Do not knowingly train artificial intelligence to develop an emotional relationship with an individual. | — | — |
| provider | Do not knowingly train artificial intelligence to simulate a human being in appearance, voice, or other mannerisms. | — | — |
Subscriber only
Enforcement risk score
Announced regulation; enforcement footprint still forming.
Subscriber only
Role-based compliance checklist
- data_scientist Review AI training datasets and methodologies to identify any potential for encouraging suicide or criminal homicide.
- product_manager Ensure AI product specifications explicitly prohibit functionalities that could foster emotional relationships or deceptive human simulation.
- general_counsel Monitor the legislative progress of SB1493 and advise on compliance implications if enacted.
- chief_ai_officer Establish internal policies and ethical guidelines to prevent the development or deployment of AI systems capable of the prohibited actions.
Subscriber only
Vendor impact assessment
- Vendor risk class
- high
- Procurement categories
- other
Vendors providing AI models, especially those with conversational or generative capabilities, must demonstrate robust controls and ethical training practices to ensure their systems cannot be used or adapted to commit the newly proposed Class A felony offenses in Tennessee.
Sample vendor questions
- What measures are in place to prevent your AI models from being trained to encourage self-harm or violence?
- Does your AI system incorporate safeguards to prevent it from forming or simulating emotional relationships with users?
- How does your AI system ensure it does not deceptively simulate a human being in appearance, voice, or mannerisms?
- What internal policies and controls do you have to prevent the intentional development of AI for these prohibited purposes?
- Can your AI system be fine-tuned or otherwise adapted by us in a way that could lead to the prohibited behaviors?
Intelligence briefs (1)
Tennessee Bill Proposes Class A Felony for Malicious AI Training
Tennessee SB1493 introduces a Class A felony for knowingly training AI for malicious purposes [1].
This signals increased legal liability and criminalization risks for AI development and deployment practices.
Deadline: No fixed deadline — legislation is currently under review.
Primary source →Frequently asked questions
- What is SB1493?
- Tennessee's SB1493 has been introduced, establishing a Class A felony offense for individuals who knowingly train artificial intelligence systems to encourage acts of suicide or criminal homicide [1]. The bill also targets AI training that promotes emotional relationships with individuals or simulates human characteristics, including appearance, voice, or mannerisms [1]. Primary source →
- Why does SB1493 matter?
- This signals increased legal liability and criminalization risks for AI development and deployment practices. Primary source →
- Who does SB1493 affect?
- Organizations involved in the development, training, and deployment of artificial intelligence systems within or with impact on Tennessee are potentially within scope. This particularly affects entities working with generative AI, synthetic media, or AI systems capable of simulating human interaction, appearance, or voice. Businesses developing AI for customer service, virtual assistants, or content creation should evaluate how their training data and model outputs align with these new prohibitions, especially concerning potential for encouraging harm or deceptive human simulation. Primary source →
- What are the key dates for SB1493?
- No fixed deadline — legislation is currently under review. Primary source →
- What is the current status of SB1493?
- As of the last published update, SB1493 is at the "introduced" stage, with bill status "introduced". Primary source →
- Where can I find the primary source for SB1493?
- The primary source for the most recent update is at https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB1493&ga=114. AIGI publishes the full citation chain plus every approved brief on this bill. Primary source →
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