On October 13th, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 243 into law, marking a pioneering step to regulate the expanding field of companion AI chatbots. Known as the first law of its kind, it requires chatbot developers to clearly notify users when they are interacting with AI rather than a human, especially if such interaction might be misleading. The legislation also mandates annual reports starting next year from chatbot operators to the Office of Suicide Prevention on the safeguards implemented to detect and address users’ suicidal thoughts, with this data to be made publicly available. Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of responsible AI innovation and protecting children through enhanced safety measures including new age-gating laws for digital devices. This law accompanies Senate Bill 53, focusing on AI transparency, also recently signed by Newsom, underscoring California’s leadership in mindful AI governance.
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