Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 243 into law earlier this morning. The new safeguards come on the heels of alarming incidents of harm arising from kids interacting with the powerful AI-driven products.

The testimony of Megan Garcia, pictured, was instrumental in the passage of SB 243, a bill addressing kids and AI chatbots. Garcia’s 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer ended his own life with the encouragement of an AI companion chatbot in 2024.

Megan Garcia, the mother of a 14-year-old boy who committed suicide after becoming infatuated with an AI-driven companion chatbot, testified in favor of a California bill that would create safety guidelines for the powerful new products.