The American Medical Association (AMA) sent three letters to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, requesting that better safeguards be put in place for the use of AI chatbots in mental healthcare and citing four key areas for consideration.

"The AMA warned that the rapid rise of mental health chatbots – along with reports of risks such as encouraging self-harm and privacy breaches – highlights the urgent need for clear guardrails to protect patients and maintain public trust," the announcement reads.

The letters were sent to members of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus as well as members of the House of Representatives' Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus and Congressional Digital Health Caucus.

In the correspondence, the organization commended Congress for holding meetings last year that focused on AI's integration into daily life and the emerging risks associated with mental health chatbots and AI companionship.