Six weeks into the 2026 legislative season, 78 chatbot bills are alive in 27 states, reflecting the growing nationwide concern over the dangers of the powerful new technology.

Every Friday, TCAI brings you an overview of AI-related legislation moving through state legislatures. This week: California lawmakers introduce protection bills regarding AI surveillance in the workplace, while kids chatbot safety bills move forward in Washington and Oregon.

While conducting research for an upcoming Netflix project on AI, Gordon-Levitt spoke with people inside the tech world, as well as academic researchers and policy experts. What he learned alarmed him enough to speak out.