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Citing risk to kids, California bill targets controversial AI ‘companion’ chatbots
New legislation in California would sets rules for chatbots that are designed as personalized and sometimes emotionally supportive digital friends.
A bill advancing through the California legislature seeks to address the harmful impacts of “companion” chatbots, artificial intelligence-powered systems designed to simulate human-like relationships and provide emotional support. The legislation is partly inspired by the tragic story of Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old Florida boy who took his life last year after forming a parasocial relationship with a chatbot on Character.AI, a platform that allows users to interact with custom-built AI personas. Last week, an executive at TechNet, a statewide network of technology CEOs, drafted an open letter opposing the legislation, claiming its definition of a companion chatbot is too broad and that the annual reporting requirements would be too costly.
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