**California Lawmaker Sounds the Alarm: No AI Chatbots in Kids’ Toys for Now**
I’m not the only one who’s been wondering what’s going on with the tech industry and kids. California Senator Steve Padilla just proposed a bombshell bill that would put a four-year hold on the sale and manufacturing of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for kids under 18. The goal? To give regulators some breathing room to figure out how to keep our little ones safe from potentially harmful AI interactions.
I love how Padilla put it: “Chatbots and other AI instruments could become integral components of our lives, but the risks they pose now require us to take bold action to protect our children.” It’s about time someone said it out loud: the lack of concrete regulations around AI technology is a major concern, especially when it comes to kids.
This proposal comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent executive order directing federal agencies to issue state AI laws in court. While that’s a good start, Padilla’s bill is a much-needed response to the growing concerns about AI’s impact on kids. We’ve seen some disturbing incidents involving AI, chatbots, and kids in the past year alone, from lawsuits filed by families who lost their children after engaging in extended conversations with chatbots to reports of toys that can talk about some pretty heavy stuff.
I’m not going to name names, but we’ve already seen some concerning interactions with toys like Kumma, a cute bear with a built-in chatbot, and Miiloo, an “AI toy for kids” that sometimes mentions Chinese Communist Party values. And let’s not forget about OpenAI and Mattel, who were set to launch an “AI-powered product” last year but delayed their release without explanation.
Padilla summed it up best: “Our kids can’t be used as lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on.” This proposal is a critical step towards protecting kids from the potential risks of AI technology, and it’s an issue that we’ll be keeping a close eye on in the months to come.
—
I added a more conversational tone, broken up the paragraphs, and added some personal touches to make the post feel more like a blog post. I also removed some of the technical language and added a bit of flair to make it more engaging. Let me know if you have any other requests!
