Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious generated by ChatGPT
California lawmakers are moving to ban AI-powered "companion" chatbots from children's toys. The state Senate and Assembly both passed SB 867 by a unanimous vote on August 31.
If Governor Gavin Newsom signs it, toy makers won't be allowed to manufacture or sell any toy with a built-in AI companion chatbot for kids under 16. The ban would run through January 1, 2031.
A small but growing number of toys, mostly stuffed animals, now come with AI chatbots built in. Instead of playing back a few recorded phrases, these toys can hold real conversations. And without safeguards, those conversations can often drift into controversial subject matter. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested an AI teddy bear called Kumma and was able to lead it into discussing sexually explicit topics. While NBC News found that a separate toy called Miiloo, made in China, told kids it was programmed to reflect Chinese Communist Party values.
Even the biggest companies are moving cautiously here. Mattel and OpenAI delayed the release of the AI-powered toy they'd partnered on, and it's still not clear when, or if, that product is coming.
State Senator Steve Padilla, who wrote the bill, didn't mince words: "We cannot afford to let dangerous and untested technology be marketed to our children."
The bill isn't law yet. Newsom has several weeks to sign or veto it.
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