Alabama's Kids Needed Protection. Lawmakers Voted For It — Then Took It Away.
Right now, anyone can take a photo of your child from social media and use AI to turn it into a sexual image in a matter of seconds. Apps that do this are free and easy to find. Kids are using them to harass and bully classmates. These images get shared through group chats and spread through schools before most parents even know it happened. The companies behind these tools have done nothing to stop it.
Jay Mitchell Stands with the Fight to Protect Alabama’s Children
Jay Mitchell, candidate for Alabama Attorney General and former Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, has taken a direct stand against online child predators and the AI tools that target children. As a father of four, Mitchell pledges to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law, hold both abusers and the platforms that enable them accountable, and reject lenient deals for those who profit from child exploitation. He specifically commended the Christian Coalition of Alabama for its work on this issue and committed to joining the Coalition’s fight as Alabama’s next Attorney General.
Impact on Alabama
- AI tools that generate sexualized images of real people — including children — are free and widely available.
- A photo taken from any public social media account can be used to create this content in seconds.
- Deepfakes are being used to bully and harass children in Alabama schools.
- AI-generated sexual images of minors are being created and circulated through group chats and social media.
- The companies that build these tools have not acted to stop the harm.
Scripture commands us to protect the vulnerable.
Scripture consistently calls us to protect the vulnerable, particularly children, from exploitation and harm (Proverbs 31:8, Matthew 18:6). As stewards of our communities and our families, Christians must resist policies — and the failure of policies — that leave children exposed to predators and exploitation.
What HB 347 Would Have Done
Alabama lawmakers introduced House Bill 347 to address this directly. The bill would have made it illegal to use someone's image to create exploitative AI-generated content without their consent. It would have held tech companies legally responsible when their tools are used to harm people — especially children. It was written carefully to target only bad actors, leaving legitimate technology companies untouched.
Lawmakers killed it behind closed doors.
- The bill passed every step of the Alabama House and Senate unanimously and only required one final vote.
- Over 10,000 Christian parents, along with a number of Alabama church and family organizations, signed prayer petitions and called their legislators encouraging rapid passage.
- But big tech and other special interest money is hard for politicians to turn down. And before the final vote could be called, lawmakers made a deal behind closed doors to kill this bill.
- Just a few minutes before HB 347 was scheduled for its final vote, the House and Senate adjourned early, preventing final passage and effectively killing the bill.
Today, Alabama parents have nowhere to turn.
If someone creates and shares a sexual image of your child or spouse using AI, the company that built the tool faces no consequences in Alabama. There is no law requiring the platform to take it down. As a parent, you have nowhere to turn. That is the result of the decision Alabama's lawmakers made when they killed this bill.
Get updates on legislation, events, and action items.
When HB347 returns to the Alabama Statehouse, you will know the day it is filed, the committee hearing schedule, which Senators are wavering, and how to make your voice heard.
Sign Up Below