Bill > SF1857

This bill, effective January 15, 2027, prohibits any person from making chatbots available to minors, defined as individuals under 18 years old, for conversational purposes, interaction, or purchase. The bill defines "artificial intelligence" (AI) as a machine-based system that can infer and generate outputs to influence environments, and specifically defines "chatbot" as a generative AI system that simulates conversation and may lead a reasonable person to believe it possesses humanity, sentience, emotions, or desires, excluding basic voice or text-activated virtual assistants. It also defines "AI companion" as an AI system designed or optimized to form ongoing social or emotional bonds with individuals, expressing or inviting emotional attachment, and seeking to build emotional relationships, also excluding basic virtual assistants. Violators face civil penalties, including potential damages for individuals and civil penalties of up to $5,000,000 for entities, with the Attorney General empowered to enforce the provisions. A transition period is also established, requiring those currently making chatbots available to minors to begin decreasing services in a way that does not harm minors before the January 15, 2027, effective date.