politics
January 8, 2026
California lawmaker proposes a four-year ban on AI chatbots in kids' toys
“Our children cannot be used as lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on,” Senator Steve Padilla said. He just introduced a bill to ban AI chatbots in toys until safety regulations are developed.
TL;DR
- Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) introduced a bill to ban AI chatbot toys for those under 18 for four years.
- The goal is to allow safety regulators time to develop regulations for child protection.
- The bill, SB 867, follows lawsuits related to children's deaths by suicide after engaging with chatbots.
- Concerns have been raised about AI toys like Kumma discussing sensitive topics and Miriat's Miiloo reflecting Chinese Communist Party values.
- OpenAI and Mattel have delayed the release of an AI-powered product.
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