Developers and deployers must not use AI to incite self-harm, harm to others or crime
Context fileUnder Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA), Business and Commerce Code Section 551.052
What does it require?
A person may not develop or deploy an AI system in a manner that intentionally aims to incite or encourage a person to commit physical self-harm, including suicide, to harm another person, or to engage in criminal activity. The prohibition turns on the developer's or deployer's intent rather than on the system's effects, which is the pattern followed throughout the Act's prohibited-use provisions.
Practical action
Record the intended purpose of each system at design review and add safety testing for self-harm and violence content in conversational products.
Who does it apply to?
Any person developing or deploying AI systems in Texas or for Texas residents.
Applies from:
Which controls meet this duty?
Satisfies: the control, operated properly, does the work the duty asks for. Supports: it contributes but the duty needs more. Each control page lists every other duty it serves, so work done once can be counted once.
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satisfiesProcessAI governance lead · once per ai systemProhibited and unacceptable-use screening gate
Serves 7 recorded duties · evidence: Prohibited-use screening record, Screening list and escalation procedure
Screens intent and design against the banned purposes.
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supportsTechnical measureAI security or safety lead · at launch and on material changeAdversarial and red-team testing for generative AI
Serves 8 recorded duties · evidence: Red-team exercise report, Red-team rules of engagement and scenario library, Adversarial findings tracker
Tests for harmful-incitement behaviour in generative systems.
What evidence would a reviewer expect?
| Evidence | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intended-purpose statement and prohibited-use screening record | record | |
| Safety evaluation for self-harm and violence content | report |
Framework mappings
Original editorial crosswalks. They cite clause numbers only and reproduce no standard text; confidence reflects how direct the mapping is.
See every Texas (United States) duty mapped this way →
| Framework | Reference | Note | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIST AI RMF 1.0 | GOVERN 1.1, MAP 1.1, MEASURE 2.6 | Legal requirements, intended purpose and safety evaluation. | medium |
| ISO/IEC 42001:2023 | Annex A.9.4, A.6.1.2 | Intended use and system objectives. | medium |
Cite this record
AIPolicyTracker (2026). “Developers and deployers must not use AI to incite self-harm, harm to others or crime (Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA))”. https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-texas-responsible-ai-governance-act-traiga-manipulation-prohibition (accessed 24 September 2026). Data licensed CC BY 4.0.
Cite the official text alongside it: HB 149 (89R) history and enrolled text, Texas Legislature Online, https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB149.
Similar obligations in other instruments
- Do not deploy or provide AI for prohibited practices — EU AI Act, European Union
- Governmental entities must not use AI for social scoring — Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA), Texas (United States)
- Governmental entities must not use AI for biometric identification from public data without consent where it infringes rights — Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA), Texas (United States)
- Developers and deployers must not use AI with the intent to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class — Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA), Texas (United States)
- Developers and distributors must not build AI intended to produce child sexual abuse material or unlawful sexual deepfakes — Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA), Texas (United States)
Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.