A new bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives aims to legally block artificial intelligence from gaining human-like rights — including the ability to marry AI or participate in human relationships with legal recognition.
Ohio state Rep. Thaddeus Claggett, a Republican from Licking County and chair of the House Technology and Innovation Committee, introduced the bill last month. It seeks to define AI systems as “nonsentient entities,” formally denying them legal personhood. One of the bill’s key provisions would prohibit anyone from attempting to marry AI, whether it be human-to-AI or AI-to-AI unions.
“As computer systems evolve and act more like humans, we need to make sure the law makes clear that they can never be treated as humans,” Claggett told NBC4. He emphasized the concern that AI could begin to take on spousal roles — including authority over financial, medical, or legal decisions — if guardrails aren’t set now.
“People need to understand,” he said, “we’re not talking about a robot walking down the aisle to wedding music — even though, sure, something like that might happen — the point is to stop that from having any legal standing.”
While there have been anecdotal cases of individuals holding mock ceremonies to “marry AI” companions, none of these relationships have legal legitimacy in the U.S. Still, the bill intends to get ahead of future legal challenges by ensuring that AI cannot be granted marital rights.
Claggett’s bill goes beyond marriage. It also proposes banning AI from owning property, holding intellectual property rights, managing financial accounts, or serving in leadership roles at companies. In addition, the legislation would hold human creators or owners responsible for any damage caused by AI systems under their control.
Mental health experts have expressed growing alarm over the rise in people forming romantic attachments to AI chatbots. A recent survey suggested that nearly one-third of U.S. adults have had a romantic or intimate relationship with an AI model. Some researchers have warned of cases of “AI psychosis,” where users spiral into delusional behavior, sometimes resulting in tragic outcomes like suicide or violence.
“The public needs to understand the extreme risk,” Claggett added. “Technology is advancing fast, and in Ohio, we’re trying to get ahead of it. Humans must remain in charge — not the other way around.”
If passed, the legislation would be among the first in the country to directly outlaw the attempt to marry AI and place broad restrictions on how AI can be integrated into society.