"Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) introduced a bill on Monday that would place a four-year ban on the sale and manufacture of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for kids under 18. The goal is to give safety regulators time to develop regulations to protect children from "dangerous AI interactions." "Chatbots and other AI tools may become integral parts of our lives in the future, but the dangers they pose now require us to take bold action to protect our children,"
"In over the past year, lawsuits filed by families whose children died by suicide after engaging in prolonged conversations with chatbots have spurred lawmakers to action. Padilla also co-authored California's recently passed SB 243, which requires chatbot operators to implement safeguards to protect children and vulnerable users. In November 2025, consumer advocacy group PIRG Education Fund warned that toys like Kumma - a cute toy bear with a built-in chatbot - could be prompted easily to talk about matches, knives, and sexual topics."
A bill would ban sale and manufacture of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for children under 18 for four years to allow regulators to develop safety regulations against dangerous AI interactions. Senator Steve Padilla emphasized that chatbots may become integral but currently pose dangers requiring bold action to protect children. The proposal follows lawsuits linked to chatbot conversations that preceded child suicides, California's SB 243 requiring safeguards for vulnerable users, reports of toys being prompted to discuss harmful topics, and federal-state tensions over AI law preemption.
Read at TechCrunch
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