Chatbot Crackdown: How California is responding to the rise of AI – KCRA
California is quickly becoming a national leader in figuring out how families, educators, and lawmakers should adapt to life with artificial intelligence.
From new classroom conversations to the state’s first major chatbot regulations, many are grappling with how to keep up with technology that moves faster than ever.
Remember the dial-up days? Today, technology evolves in an instant—and many parents are struggling to keep pace.
David and Rachelle Young have set strict rules for their 7-year-old daughter Dyllan’s online use.
“Kids have a lot of access to the internet, and they can be shown something that we wouldn’t normally approve of, and that’s really scary,” Rachelle Young said.
David says his daughter’s world looks nothing like what he had at her age—making parental guidance more important than ever.
Concerns about children talking to AI-powered chatbots have reached the state Capitol.
Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson co-authored SB 243, signed into law this fall, marking California’s first major attempt at regulating chatbot interactions.
The new law requires companies to:
“They don’t want you to turn your phone off. They want you to think that you’re talking to a real friend, but they don’t have that same level of morality,” she said.
Her concerns stem from real-world consequences: last year, a 14-year-old in Florida took his own life after forming what his family described as a “relationship” with a chatbot.
At UC Davis, Associate Professor Jingwen Zhang is tackling these issues head-on.
She created a course examining how social media, artificial intelligence and chatbots shape human behavior.
“Children used to form social relationships by talking in person or texting. Now they’re having similar levels of conversations with chatbots,” she said.
Zhang says SB 243 is a strong first step but believes more protections are needed—especially for minors.
She recommends future regulations that:
Parents, educators, and policymakers all agree: keeping up with AI will require constant learning.
“We have to get to a place where companies are rolling out things that will not hurt the future generation,” Sen. Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson said.
Parents told KCRA 3 they want schools to start teaching more about AI safety and digital literacy.
Starting this month, the popular Character AI platform is rolling out several major changes:
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