SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014\u00a0Legislation authored by State Senator Steve Padilla, who represents the San Diego area, regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot interactions\u00a0was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Senate Bill (SB) 243 implements what Padilla calls \u201ccommon-sense\u201d guardrails to help protect children who may use AI as a companion. The bill stops<\/a> chatbots from exposing sexual content to minors,\u00a0requires companies state\u00a0AI may not be suitable for minors and sends notifications\/reminders that conversations are AI generated.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis technology can be a powerful educational and research tool, but left to their own devices the Tech Industry is incentivized to capture young people\u2019s attention and hold it at the expense of their real world relationships,\u201d Padilla said on the Senate Floor. \u00a0<\/p>\n The regulation comes after a Californian teen, Adam Raine, committed suicide after discussing it with ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/p>\n Padilla also mentioned<\/a> a 14-year-old from Florida, Sewell Setzer,\u00a0who ended his life after forming a romantic relationship with a chatbot. \u00a0<\/p>\n Newsom signed SB 243 as part of a wave of bills aimed at protecting children in online spaces. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly \u2014 protecting our children every step of the way,\u201d Newsom said. \u201cOur children\u2019s safety is not for sale.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n First Partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom shared the importance of prioritizing children in legislation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEverything we do begins with our children \u2014 their safety, their health, and their well-being,\u201d Siebel Newsom said.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a blog post<\/a> by OpenAI, ChatGPT\u2019s policies restrict outputs that sexualize children.\u00a0However, OpenAI specifies that no system is \u201cfoolproof.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we recognize that even the most advanced systems aren\u2019t foolproof, we are constantly refining our methods to prevent these kinds of abuse,\u201d the company states<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n