Protecting Alabama's Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

There are moments in public life when the issue before us is so clear, so urgent, and so morally unambiguous that hesitation itself becomes a failure of leadership.

House Bill 347 is one of those moments.

The Alabama Legislature now stands at a crossroads, not between competing political ideologies, but between action and inaction in the face of a rapidly evolving threat to our children. The weaponization of artificial intelligence to produce and distribute sexually explicit imagery, including content that victimizes minors, is not some distant or theoretical concern. It is here. It is growing. And it demands a response equal to the seriousness of the harm being inflicted.

HB 347 provides that response.

This legislation strengthens consumer protections, clarifies enforcement mechanisms, and ensures that those who profit from or facilitate the exploitation of children through artificial intelligence face real and lasting consequences. The law does not become optional simply because the tool is new, and the speed of technological advancement cannot be allowed to outpace our moral responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Alabama has never been a state that waits for others to lead.

In 2024, this Legislature acted decisively and unanimously to pass the Alabama Child Protection Act, placing our state among the strongest in the nation in addressing AI-generated child sexual abuse material. That law sent a clear message that Alabama would not tolerate the misuse of emerging technologies to harm children.

HB 347 builds on that foundation. It is not a departure, but a continuation of that leadership. It is the next necessary step in ensuring that our laws remain as strong as the threats we face.

Importantly, this legislation is not only consistent with federal law, it is aligned with it.

In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act, the first federal law criminalizing the nonconsensual publication of intimate images, including those generated by artificial intelligence. This landmark legislation, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, established a national standard for protecting individuals, especially children, from digital exploitation.

HB 347 mirrors and reinforces that federal framework at the state level. It ensures that Alabama families are protected not just in theory, but in practice, by giving our law enforcement agencies the tools they need to act swiftly and effectively.

Even more telling is what followed.

When President Trump issued his December 2025 executive order establishing a national artificial intelligence policy framework, his administration made a deliberate and bipartisan decision to carve out protections for children. While the order sought to prevent a confusing patchwork of state regulations that could hinder innovation, it explicitly preserved the authority of states to act in matters of child safety.

That was not an accident. It was a recognition that protecting children transcends political debate and demands local action.

HB 347 falls squarely within that protected category. Alabama is not acting in defiance of federal policy. Alabama is doing exactly what federal leadership encouraged states to do.

This is also not, as some might attempt to argue, an attack on innovation.

Alabama welcomes technological advancement. Our businesses depend on it. Our economy benefits from it. And our future will be shaped by it. But there is a profound difference between innovation that drives progress and innovation that enables harm. Technology that is used to exploit children is not innovation worth defending.

HB 347 draws a clear, principled, and necessary line. It says that while Alabama will always support growth, entrepreneurship, and technological leadership, we will never allow those values to be used as a shield for those who seek to harm our children. Responsible technology companies should welcome that clarity, not resist it. At its core, this is not a partisan issue.

The Take It Down Act passed the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 409 to 2. It passed the Senate unanimously. In an era defined by division, that level of agreement is almost unheard of. And yet, on this issue, there was unity. That unity should continue here in Alabama.

There is no political advantage to be gained by hesitation. There is no justification for delay. There is only the responsibility to act.

The Christian Coalition of Alabama has taken a clear and principled stand in support of HB347 the tools of government to protect those who cannot protect themselves, or whether we will allow emerging technologies to outpace our willingness to confront their misuse.

The answer should be obvious. The Alabama Legislature should pass House Bill 347 without delay. Our children are watching. And so is the nation.

Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a former State Representative, current member of the Alabama Republican Party, the 2016 Trump Victory Chair, and a widely read columnist who write about politics and current affairs.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.