California lawmaker proposes four-year ban on AI chatbots in children’s toys | TechCrunch

Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) introduced one account That would mean a four-year ban on Monday on the sale and production of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for children under 18. The aim is to give safety regulators time to develop regulations to protect children from ‘dangerous AI interactions’.

“Chatbots and other AI tools may become an integral part of our lives in the future, but the dangers 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 sales of these chatbot-integrated toys gives us time to develop the appropriate safety guidelines and framework for these toys.”

The bill, called SB 867, comes in the wake of President Trump’s recent executive order directing federal agencies to challenge state AI laws in court — although the order explicitly provides exceptions for state laws regarding child safety. The legislation also follows a number of incidents involving AI, chatbots and children.

Over the past year, lawsuits filed by families whose children died by suicide after lengthy conversations with chatbots have spurred lawmakers into action. Padilla also co-authored California’s recently passed SB 243, which requires chatbot operators to implement safeguards to protect children and vulnerable users.

Although the use of chatbots in toys is not yet mainstream, there have already been reports of disturbing interactions. In November 2025, consumer advocacy group PIRG Education Fund warned that toys like Kumma – a cute toy bear with a built-in chatbot – can easily be prompted to talk about matches, knives and sexual topics. NBC News found that Miiloo, an “AI toy for children” made by the Chinese company Miriat, would sometimes indicate that it was programmed to reflect the values ​​of the Chinese Communist Party.

OpenAI and Barbie maker Mattel were supposed to release an “AI-powered product” in 2025, but delayed their release. Neither company has explained the delay, and it’s not clear if they plan to release toys in 2026.

“Our children cannot be used as lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on,” Padilla said.