A California lawmaker looks to ban AI chatbots in toys

• There have also been many high-profile cases of non-toy chatbots interacting with kids who then went on to harm themselves or die by suicide, resulting in congressional hearings and ongoing litigation involving the biggest AI companies.

Driving the news: Earlier this month, Padilla introduced SB 867, a first-of-its-kind bill that would place a four-year moratorium on toys with AI and chatbot features for kids under 12.

What they're saying: "We want to make sure that before we more broadly deploy this technology in toys that are designed, manufactured and marketed for young children, that harms are understood and we're being careful before we proliferate this stuff in a way that can be harmful," Padilla said in an interview with Axios.

• Padilla said he anticipates adding sponsors to the bill "very shortly" and that he hadn't spoken specifically with Gov. Gavin Newsom about it yet.
• "I'm a parent and a grandparent ... this is something that's concerning, but eminently addressable, right?"
• "We can get standards and reasonable guardrails around what is permitted to go to market," he said.

How it works: During the four-year moratorium, such toys would not be permitted to be sold or manufactured in California.

• "That's a pretty big market," Padilla said.
• The bill has similar language to Padilla's SB 243, a chatbot safeguards bill that passed in California last year, around design features aimed at young consumers, he said.

"This is not an anti-technology bill," Padilla told Axios.

• "This is a bill about protecting innocent young children from harm, and I think that's absolutely appropriate," he said.

What's next: The bill will need to advance through California's legislative process this year before possibly becoming law.

• Padilla's legislation also comes shortly after President Trump signed an executive order targeting state AI laws.