California Enacts New AI Laws Targeting Child Safety
Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 243, which regulates "companion chatbots" for minors, but vetoed other, broader AI measures.
New Rules for "Companion Chatbots"
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a package of bills aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, with a strong focus on protecting minors online. The legislative action makes California the first state to specifically regulate "companion chatbots," the increasingly popular virtual companions that interact with users.
The new law, Senate Bill 243, requires companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Character AI to implement several safety protocols for their chatbots when used by minors. These include: - Disclosing to the user that they are interacting with an AI, not a human. - Providing minors with reminders …
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