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A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law
If SB 243 is enacted, California would become the first state to require operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions and hold companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet those standards.
The bill specifically aims to prevent companion chatbots, which the legislation defines as AI systems that provide adaptive, human-like responses and are capable of meeting a user’s social needs – from engaging in conversations around suicidal ideation, self-harm, or sexually explicit content. These tactics, used by AI companion companies like Replika and Character, offer users special messages, memories, storylines, or the ability to unlock rare responses or new personalities, creating what critics call a potentially addictive reward loop. SB 243 is moving toward becoming law at a time when Silicon Valley companies are pouring millions of dollars into pro-AI political action committees (PACs) to back candidates in the upcoming mid-term elections who favor a light-touch approach to AI regulation.
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