A California lawmaker is proposing a four-year ban on AI-based chatbots in children’s games

Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) introduced A invoice On Monday, it would impose a four-year ban on the sale and manufacture of toys containing chatbot capabilities to children under 18. The goal is to give safety regulators enough time to develop regulations to protect children from “dangerous AI interactions.”

“Chatbots and other artificial intelligence tools may become an integral part of our lives in the future, but the risks they pose now require us to take bold action to protect our children,” Senator Padilla said in a statement. “Our safety regulations around this type of technology are still in their infancy and will need to grow as exponentially as the capabilities of this technology. Pausing the sale of these games integrated with chatbots gives us time to formulate the appropriate safety guidelines and framework for these games to follow.”

The bill, dubbed SB 287, comes on the heels of… President Trump’s latest executive order Directing federal agencies to challenge state AI laws in court — even though the order explicitly provides exceptions to state laws related to child safety. The legislation also follows several incidents involving artificial intelligence, chatbots and children.

Last year, lawsuits were filed Families whose children He died by suicide After engaging in lengthy conversations with chatbots, she motivated lawmakers to act. Padilla also recently co-authored the book California SB 243 passedwhich requires chatbot operators to implement safeguards to protect children and vulnerable users.

Although the use of chatbots in games is not yet prevalent, there have already been reports of troubling interactions. In November 2025, the consumer advocacy group PIRG Education Fund warned Games like Kuma – the cute bear toy with a built-in chat program – can easily be induced to talk about matches, knives, and sexual topics. Found by NBC News That Miiloo, an “AI toy for children” made by the Chinese company Miriat, may sometimes suggest that it has been programmed to reflect the values ​​of the Chinese Communist Party.

OpenAI and Barbie doll manufacturer Mattel were scheduled to release a game “AI-powered product” in 2025but delay Release them. Neither company explained this delay, and it is not clear whether they plan to release a game in 2026.

“Our children cannot be used as guinea pigs for Big Tech to experiment with,” Padilla said.