Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) launched a invoice on Monday that might place a four-year ban on the sale and manufacture of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for youths underneath 18. The purpose is to present security regulators time to develop laws to guard kids from “harmful AI interactions.”
“Chatbots and different AI instruments could turn into integral elements of our lives sooner or later, however the risks they pose now require us to take daring motion to guard our kids,” Senator Padilla stated in a press release. “Our security laws round this sort of expertise are of their infancy and might want to develop as exponentially because the capabilities of this expertise do. Pausing the sale of those chatbot-integrated toys permits us time to craft the suitable security tips and framework for these toys to observe.”
The invoice, dubbed SB 867, comes within the wake of President Trump’s latest govt order directing federal companies to problem state AI legal guidelines in court docket — although the order explicitly carves out exceptions for state legal guidelines associated to youngster security. The laws additionally follows a number of regarding incidents involving AI, chatbots, and youngsters.
In over the previous 12 months, lawsuits filed by households whose kids died by suicide after participating in extended conversations with chatbots have spurred lawmakers to motion. Padilla additionally co-authored California’s not too long ago handed SB 243, which requires chatbot operators to implement safeguards to guard kids and weak customers.
Whereas using chatbots in toys isn’t as mainstream but, there have already been experiences of troubling interactions. In November 2025, client advocacy group PIRG Schooling Fund warned that toys like Kumma – a cute toy bear with a built-in chatbot – may very well be prompted simply to speak about matches, knives, and sexual matters. NBC Information discovered that Miiloo, an “AI toy for youths” made by Chinese language firm Miriat, would at occasions point out that it was programmed to replicate Chinese language Communist Social gathering values.
OpenAI and Barbie-maker Mattel had been slated to launch an “AI-powered product” in 2025, however delayed their launch. Neither firm defined the delay, and it’s not clear in the event that they plan to launch a toy in 2026.
“Our youngsters can’t be used as lab rats for Massive Tech to experiment on,” Padilla stated.
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