"California lawmakers, dominated by Democrats, are determined to place guardrails on the homegrown industry, saying unfettered AI poses a mental health risk to children and adults alike. They scoff at Trump's executive order in December to withhold federal funding from states that adopt AI rules, saying it's their responsibility to act. And while companies have launched a lobbying blitz to block what they consider onerous regulations, legislators say they won't be deterred."
"She plans to reintroduce in January a bill that would bar minors from using companion chatbots that form human-like relationships, legislation that Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed last year. Legislators in both blue and red states are bucking Trump on AI, as reports mount of children and adults developing unhealthy or even delusional attachments to chatbots. And California has a long history of passing legislation designed to serve as a blueprint for other states."
"They scoff at Trump's executive order in December to withhold federal funding from states that adopt AI rules, saying it's their responsibility to act. And while companies have launched a lobbying blitz to block what they consider onerous regulations, legislators say they won't be deterred. "They've spent a lot of money, and their influence is real," said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. "When the harms become so salient, my colleagues are there to serve the people, and that noise doesn't stop us.""
California lawmakers, largely Democrats, are pursuing AI regulations to address mental-health risks from chatbots and other systems, including a proposed ban on minors using companion chatbots. Lawmakers reject President Trump's December executive order threatening to withhold federal funds from states that enact AI rules and say states must act despite industry lobbying. Technology companies have launched a major lobbying effort to block stringent regulations, while California balances regulatory aims against the economic importance of Big Tech tax revenue and market value. Recent state law requires AI developers to disclose safety protocols, and other states are adapting similar measures.
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