New laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom aim to make artificial intelligence and social media in California safer, especially for minors.
Senate bill 243sponsored by state Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista), would require artificial intelligence companies to install guardrails that would prevent so-called “companion” chatbots from talking to users of any age about suicide or self-harm. It also requires all artificial intelligence systems to warn minors every three hours via chatbots that they are not human. Systems are also prohibited from promoting any sexually explicit behavior among minor users.
The law, which will come into force on January 1, is as follows: several lawsuits lawsuit against developers whose families claim their children committed suicide under the influence of an artificially intelligent chatbot companion.
In a similar vein, Newsom signed House Bill 316, which eliminates the civil defense that some AI developers have used to prove they are not liable for any harm caused by their products. They claim that their AI products operate autonomously and therefore there is no legal basis to blame the developers.
In an analysis of the bill aimed at lawmakers, Assemblywoman Maggie Krell (D-Sacramento) wrote that the change would force developers to better vet their product and ensure they can be held accountable if their product actually causes harm to its users.
Another bill, AB 621, would increase civil penalties for AI developers who knowingly create non-consensual “deep fakes” of AI pornography. Maximum fines range from $30,000 to $50,000 and from $150,000 to $250,000 in cases where the courts determine that the acts were committed with malice.
The bill's sponsor, Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), pointed out how the technology has been used to harm minors. “In one recent case,” she noted in an analysis supporting the proposed law, “five students were expelled from Beverly Hills High School after creating and sharing AI-generated nude photos of classmates.”
Another artificial intelligence bill, SB 53 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), was signed into law by Newsom in late September. This would require large artificial intelligence companies to publicly disclose certain security protocols and report critical security incidents to the government. It is also creating a public AI computing cluster—CalCompute—that will provide resources to startups and researchers developing large AI systems.
Bauer-Kahan also authored AB 56, which would require social media companies to post a warning label for minors on their platforms starting in 2027. The warning message should inform children and teenagers that social media is associated with mental health problems and may be unsafe.
“People across the country, including myself, are increasingly concerned about the failure of big tech companies to protect children who interact with their products. Today, California is making clear that we will not sit back and wait for companies to decide to put the well-being of children above their profits,” Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who sponsored the bill, said in a press release. “By adding warning labels to social media platforms, AB 56 gives California a new tool to protect our children.”
Other bills Newsom recently approved seek to challenge the internet's impact on young people and their mental health.
For example, AB 1043 would require app stores and device manufacturers to collect user age data to ensure they meet age verification requirements. Many tech companies, including Google and Meta, have endorsed the bill, written by Assemblywoman Buffy Weeks (D-Oakland).
AB 772 would require the state's K-12 schools to develop policies to address bullying and cyberbullying that occur off campus by mid-2027. “After-school bullying follows a student back to school and into class, creating a hostile school environment,” author and Assembly Speaker Tem Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) wrote in an analysis of the bill.
Advocates from the Los Angeles County Office of Education wrote in an earlier analysis that because students are constantly connected to the Internet these days, bullying doesn't stop even when school ends. Additionally, social media and text messaging may be broadcasting bullying incidents to a wider audience than ever before, according to the analysis.
California School Boards Association. opposed AB 772, saying it was inappropriate for school officials to assume responsibility for the actions of students outside of school. Newsom signed the bill into law over the weekend and included it in a larger package of bills designed to protect children from the effects of social media.
“New technologies like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate and connect – but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead and endanger our children. We have seen some truly horrifying and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated technology, and we will not stand by while companies continue to operate without the necessary restrictions and accountability,” he said. Newsom in his report. news release on Monday. “We can continue to lead in artificial intelligence and technology, but we must do so responsibly, protecting our children every step of the way. Our children's safety is not for sale.”
