California AG Praises Kids Online Safety Bill Regulating AI Chatbots
As part of his efforts to protect young children from abusive AI chatbots, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said Saturday he will support a bill the state's legislature approved Friday whose aim is to isolate kids from being treated as "test subjects as AI innovation moves quickly."
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Authored by Privacy Committee Chair Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D), AB-1064, or the Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act, requires parental consent for using kids’ personal information in AI training. It was one of two bills about AI chatbots that passed the California legislature on Friday (see 2509120037). The LEAD act now awaits the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom (D).
"When faced with the decision about how their products treat children, we cannot wait for companies developing and deploying AI technologies to decide to prioritize children’s well-being over their profits," said Bonta. "People across the nation -- including myself -- have become increasingly concerned with AI companies’ failure to protect children who interact with their chatbots. We need policies governing emerging AI technology that put consumer protection — especially when it comes to our most vulnerable consumers — front and center."
Bauer-Kahan said, "Our children deserve a future where technology isn’t designed to exploit their vulnerabilities for profit." She added,"It's imperative that we fight for stronger protections and hold companies accountable when their products put children at risk."
Common Sense Media sponsored the bill (see 2502210035).