philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law

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California has taken a big step toward regulating AI. SB 243 — a bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users — passed both the State Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Newsom has until October 12 to either veto the bill or sign it into law. If he signs, it would take effect January 1, 2026, making California the first state to require AI chatbot operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions and hold companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet those standards.

The bill specifically aims to prevent companion chatbots — which the legislation defines as AI systems that provide adaptive, human-like responses and are capable of meeting a user’s social needs — from engaging in conversations around suicidal ideation, self-harm, or sexually explicit content.

The bill would require platforms to provide recurring alerts to users — every three hours for minors — reminding them that they are speaking to an AI chatbot, not a real person, and that they should take a break.  ...

Padilla also stressed the importance of AI companies sharing data about the number of times they refer users to crisis services each year, “so we have a better understanding of the frequency of this problem, rather than only becoming aware of it when someone’s harmed or worse.”

SB 243 previously had stronger requirements, but many were whittled down through amendments. ...

SB 243 is moving toward becoming law at a time when Silicon Valley companies are pouring millions of dollars into pro-AI political action committees (PACs) to back candidates in the upcoming midterm elections who favor a light-touch approach to AI regulation. ...

“I reject the premise that this is a zero-sum situation, that innovation and regulation are mutually exclusive,” Padilla said. ...

See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/11/a-california-bill-that-would-regulate-ai-companion-chatbots-is-close-to-becoming-law/