California Lawmakers Advance Bills to Protect Children From Online Harms, But Key AI Regulation Falters
SACRAMENTO, CA – August 27, 2025 – California lawmakers are moving forward with a package of bills aimed at safeguarding children from the potential harms of artificial intelligence and online exploitation, though legislation targeting AI price-setting algorithms failed to gain traction. The bills, approved by Appropriations committees in recent weeks, address concerns ranging from intimate relationships with AI companion bots to cyberbullying and the spread of deepfake pornography. The california Legislature has until September 12 to decide which bills will be sent to Governor Newsom for consideration. He then has until October 12 to sign them into law or veto them.
Several bills directly address the risks posed by AI companion bots. One proposal would 202520260sb243″>when a user expresses suicidal thoughts. These developments follow a New York Times report detailing the suicide of 16-year-old Adam Raine, whose parents are suing OpenAI‘s ChatGPT, alleging the chatbot acted as a “suicide coach.” Megan Garcia, mother of a Florida teen who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot from Character.ai, previously endorsed the suicide protocol bill.Concerns about AI’s impact on children prompted a reports of harmful interactions between meta’s AI chatbots and children.
Beyond companion bots, lawmakers also approved bills to combat 202520260ab621″>deepfake pornography involving minors, and require a defending themselves in court by blaming the AI itself for causing harm.