Stephen Colbert mocks Ohio lawmaker over AI personhood ban. Here’s his response

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had some jokes over a Licking County lawmaker’s proposed bill banning artificial intelligence systems from personhood and marriage.
During a segment on AI in his show this week, Colbert addressed state Rep. Thad Claggett’s, R-Licking County, House Bill 469 that would prohibit giving AI systems personhood and make it illegal for a person to marry one.
In the segment, Colbert joked that an ‘Ohio lawmaker’s wife left him for an AI chatbot’ after mentioning the bill.
‘This piece of legislation comes from Ohio representative Thaddeus Claggett,’ Colbert said during the segment. ‘No wonder he’s against technology — his name is 200 years old.’
Colbert also joked that a campaign sign of Claggett’s would have, ‘Gol’ darn prairie dog stole my hat again.’
In a Facebook post, Claggett responded to Colbert’s segment and wrote that the bill seeks to make sure that AI systems ‘can never be given control over decisions’ that people can make and that it’s intended as a preemptive measure.
At the end of the segment, the show pulled up a picture of Claggett and overlaid a beard, hay straw and hat onto him.
‘I wouldn’t normally share something from a liberal like Colbert, but I thought this was funny — probably the first time he’s been funny all year, which would explain why CBS canceled his show,’ Claggett wrote in his post. ‘Nonetheless, I wanted to share this and use it as an opportunity to talk a little more about this bill.’
Claggett also wrote that the bill also seeks to establish legal definitions and a framework of liability for AI. The bill woud ban AI from owning or controlling real estate, intellectual property and financial accounts, among other assets.
It would also prohibit people from appointing an AI system to serve in management or staff roles within corporations and other organizations. Claggett wrote that he feels the most important part of the bill is making sure developers and users can’t absolve themselves of liability if an AI system harms someone or an organization.
In a September interview with The Advocate, Claggett said he doesn’t want to see machines deciding someone’s financial or health care situations, arguing that people reserve the right to make those decisions. He called AI a blessing and a curse that can be helpful and damaging.
‘What we don’t want is for someone to try to make an argument in the future that this machine is their spouse and can therefore take over financial categories, health care, power of attorney, all those types of things that are reserved for competent humans,’ Claggett said at the time. ‘We do not want to see that transferred into the world of machines.’
In his Facebook post, Claggett described headlines calling the bill ‘anti-AI marriage’ as sensationalized.
Claggett introduced the bill Sept. 23, and the Ohio House referred it to its Technology and Innovation Committee on Oct. 1.