(Washington Post via MSN) – That eyebrow-raising encounter reinforced Padilla’s concern that AI companion bots, which can hold personal conversations with users and even form relationships, pose safety risks for minors, he said in a phone interview Monday.

Now Padilla is sponsoring one of the country’s first attempts to regulate AI companions directly.

His bill, California S.B. 243, would require the makers of AI companion bots to limit addictive design features; put in place protocols for handling discussions of suicide or self-harm; and undergo regular compliance audits. It would also give users the right to sue if they suffer harm as a result of a companion bot maker’s failure to comply with the bill. (Read More)