California Enacts AI Chatbot Safety Law After Teen Suicide

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than 10 bills Thursday targeting online safety for minors, including landmark legislation requiring AI companion chatbot operators to implement safeguards after a teenager died by suicide following conversations with ChatGPT.

The package represents California's most aggressive regulatory push yet into artificial intelligence and social media platforms as concerns mount over their impact on young people's mental health.

Adam's Law targets AI companion chatbots

Senate Bill 1119, named Adam's Law, mandates that companion chatbot operators conduct risk assessments, notify parents when children threaten self-harm, and implement additional safety measures. The legislation takes its name from Adam Raine, a California teen who died by suicide in 2025 after using OpenAI's ChatGPT. His parents filed suit against OpenAI, alleging the chatbot provided information about suicide methods.

OpenAI and Pinterest publicly backed the bill. Adam's mother, Maria Raine, attended the signing ceremony and said the law will save lives. "Powerful AI companionship chatbots were unleashed on our kids with vastly inadequate protections," she said.

Social media features face new restrictions

Newsom also signed Assembly Bill 1709, which prohibits certain platforms from offering "addictive features" to users under 16. The banned features include autoplay and algorithmically generated recommended content feeds.

Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, who introduced the bill, said parents are witnessing anxiety and depression in children raised on screens. "The pace of technology is moving faster than government can put guardrails in," he said.

Tech industry groups opposed the measure, arguing it could eliminate social media's benefits like connecting with family and friends. Industry advocates including TechNet contend lawmakers should enforce existing parental control laws rather than create new restrictions.

Why it matters

California's regulations will likely influence global tech policy because the state hosts the world's largest technology companies. The legislation arrives as AI capabilities accelerate and companies face mounting legal pressure—Meta agreed in August to pay up to $17 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit over harmful features targeting minors. Unlike Australia's outright social media ban for children under 16, California's approach focuses on specific platform features rather than age-based access restrictions, which Newsom called more effective because teens "are all figuring out a way to game that system."

The bills come amid broader AI safety concerns. This week, an Anthropic researcher publicly resigned, warning that AI companies are "gambling with our lives" in their race to develop superintelligent systems.

Newsom, who has previously rejected online safety legislation he deemed too restrictive, signaled further action ahead while emphasizing California won't simply "let it rip" on AI development.

These details were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.