California Advances Rules on How AI Chatbots May Treat Children

California's legislature passed Senate Bill 1119 on Monday, a measure that could shape how artificial intelligence chatbots interact with children across the country. The bill still requires the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom to become law.

The legislation, written by state senator Steve Padilla and assemblymembers Buffy Wicks and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, would require AI companies to determine a user's age, provide parents with tools to limit their children's time with chatbots, and undergo independent audits. It would prohibit companies from serving children advertising based on personal information drawn from their chatbot interactions, and would make it illegal to sell data collected from children's conversations. Age-appropriate contextual advertising would remain permitted, provided it is labelled as advertising.

According to Politico, the bill was amended last week, including a change narrowing the circumstances in which families could sue AI companies. Over the same period, Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, reportedly sought to speak with Newsom about the legislation. It is unclear what role, if any, that outreach played in the amendments. OpenAI directed reporters to a statement supporting the bill and encouraging the governor to sign it.

The development matters for families because it would set concrete obligations on companies whose products children increasingly use, and because the reporting shows how such rules are shaped under commercial pressure. The Foundation notes that the amendment narrowing families' ability to sue bears directly on what recourse parents may have.

This report is based on reporting by Gizmodo, citing Politico, available at gizmodo.com.