California Democrats pass more than 20 bills to curtail AI and social media

Key Points:

• California’s Democratic Legislature passed over two dozen bills aimed at restricting AI uses and limiting social media features for minors, including bans on addictive features like autoplay videos for users under 16 and enhanced age verification for chatbots.
• Several bills hold social media platforms and AI chatbots financially liable if they fail to protect children from harm, potentially creating the most comprehensive framework in the U.S. for safeguarding minors online.
• AI-related measures include requiring human instructors in the California State University system, banning employer use of AI surveillance collecting neural data, and restricting AI use in healthcare to licensed professionals only.
• Governor Gavin Newsom, who has close ties to the tech industry but is taking a more populist stance on AI regulation ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run, has until the end of the month to decide which bills to sign into law.
• Additional legislation passed includes banning law enforcement use of electric shock gloves funded by the state, in response to federal ICE plans, easing parole for older inmates, and restricting mask-wearing for certain law enforcement officials.