Why Did Ryan Fazio Vote Against Online Safety and AI Guardrails?

Governor Lamont signed landmark online safety and artificial intelligence legislation into law this year, establishing commonsense protections for children on social media, rules for AI companions and chatbots, and accountability measures around AI use in employment and consumer settings.

Ryan Fazio voted against the bill.

The law creates new protections for children using social media and AI, including default limits on addictive platform features, parental consent requirements, safeguards around AI chatbots, and protocols for responding to signs of self-harm. It also adds accountability measures for AI use in employment, including disclosure requirements and protections against discriminatory uses. 

A recent study found that one in five U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 12–21 reported using AI chatbots for mental-health advice in 2025.

SB 5, now Public Act 26-15, passed the Connecticut Senate with a 32–4 bipartisan vote. Fazio was one of only four senators to vote no.

The vote came as national debates over AI regulation intensified. Leading AI companies themselves are now themselves raising alarms and urging guardrails, but Donald Trump disagreed, posting: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” 

Governor Lamont has said there is no place for hyperscale AI data centers in Connecticut, while Fazio does not oppose them. 

CT Dems Spokesperson Ian Clarke:

“Governor Lamont and Democratic lawmakers passed a law that makes it clear children and workers will not be test subjects for unregulated artificial intelligence. Ryan Fazio voted no, putting him in direct alignment with Donald Trump’s reckless inaction. AI is yet another area where Ryan has found an excuse to leave Connecticut residents twisting in the wind.”