Press Release

New Study of AI Toys Highlights Need for Padilla’s Proposed Moratorium

SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) issued the following statement in response a new study from Common Sense Media highlighting the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled toys:

“This report underscores the risks that AI toys pose to our kids. Its findings demonstrate how these devices share inappropriate material, erode privacy, and can undermine educational attainment. Based on this evidence, we need to put the brakes on AI toys until they are proven safe for kids. This is why I proposed SB 867 to put a pause on the sale of such toys until manufacturers have worked out the dangers embedded in them.

I applaud Common Sense Media for alerting parents and lawmakers to their findings and look forward to advancing the solution in the Legislature to address these very real risks.”

Earlier this year, Senator Padilla introduced Senate Bill 867, a 4-year moratorium on the sale and manufacture of toys with AI chatbots embedded in them, the first-in-the-nation, to allow safety regulations to be developed to ensure children’s safety.

Senator Padilla’s Senate Bill 243, the first-of-its-kind law in the nation signed into law last year, requires chatbot operators to implement critical, reasonable, and attainable safeguards around interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and provide families with a private right to pursue legal actions against noncompliant and negligent developers. At the time Governor Newsom signed SB 243, he urged the tech industry and child advocates to continue negotiations to strengthen and improve upon that measure.

Already this year, several measures to advance and strengthen SB 243 have been introduced including Senator Padilla’s Senate Bill 300 to:

  • Bring age verification protocol in line with California’s landmark law, requiring chatbot operators to adhere to a stricter standard
  • Require operators to prevent chatbots from producing or facilitating the exchange of any sexually explicit material or proposing any sexually explicit content in interactions with minors

To learn more about Senator Padilla’s continued efforts to create common sense regulations around AI chatbots, click here and here.

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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/