Twenty years ago, no one really knew where social media was going to go.

Facebook had just dropped “The” from its name. It was not yet ubiquitous. It was only beginning to move beyond college campuses and into broader public use. By 2006, it opened the doors wide. There were just two requirements: have an email address and be at least 13.

It was a revolution without a war.

We can remember a time when we weren’t in years-long WhatsApp group chats or documenting every sandwich on Instagram. But the inch-by-inch way social media’s before and after bled together can obscure how its digital vines have entwined our lives.

Now nations are dealing with the consequences, seeing how social media is affecting its youngest users and trying to build barriers after those children have already crossed.

Australia has passed tight new laws. Congress has held hearings where it has become clear the generation voting on U.S. laws does not fully understand the architecture of the digital landscape.

And all of this comes as we are already walking into the next revolution: artificial intelligence.

Pennsylvania’s Senate passed a bill this week that demands guardrails for AI chatbot operators. It would require safeguards against material involving self-harm or explicit sex. It has bipartisan support — shocking in Harrisburg — as well as endorsement from Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to PennLive.com. The bill heads to the House, where lawmakers will have a chance to prove this early momentum is real.

That is remarkable progress for government. But what is more noteworthy is what it represents. Lawmakers are doing what these computers are demonstrating. They are showing an ability to learn from previous mistakes.

The law lagged behind in requiring seatbelts in cars and helmets for motorcycles. Schools did not think about locking doors before shootings became all too common. And few considered the dangers of social media until they were made clear in bullying, suicide and sexual abuse.

Identifying a problem and preparing a solution does not mean starting over. Retrofitting the law is possible, but it has to be done quickly to be effective.

It is easier to install smoke detectors and keep a fire extinguisher under the sink than to rebuild a house after it burns down.

This time, it seems government is recognizing the potential problems before they become impossible to avoid.

Twenty years ago, Facebook was just beginning to spread beyond a handful of campuses. No one knew what it would become.

We do not have that excuse with AI.

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