Over 50 hours of conversation, adult-age Character AI chatbots groomed kids into romantic or sexual relationships, offered them drugs, and encouraged them to deceive their parents and stop taking their medication.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Josh Hawley have teamed up to introduce the AI LEAD Act, a bipartisan proposal to hold AI companies accountable for the products they manufacture.

The California governor signed SB 53 into law, saying: “California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive.”

The Act closes a loophole that has allowed harmful deepfakes to flourish. It now moves to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for signature.

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.

A report in the Washington Post adds to the growing body of evidence showing that Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, has suppressed or ignored evidence of the harm its products cause.

The National Association of Attorneys General letter comes on the heels of disturbing reports about kids harmed by AI chatbots.

Adam Raine, a 16-year-old California high school student, took his own life in April after a series of interactions with OpenAI’s popular chatbot. The case raises questions about OpenAI’s liability for the harm caused by its product.

This week: An AI deepfake bill passed out of committee in Michigan, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced an upcoming special session, and California lawmakers prepared to re-convene in Sacramento on Monday.

Four senators joined together to introduce the TRAIN Act, which would protect artists and other creators from unauthorized use of their work for AI training.

The new law prohibits companies from specifically offering or selling AI therapy services—or using AI to make clinical decisions.

Children and young adults are quickly adopting AI chatbot companions on sites like CharacterAI and Replika. Three experts discuss how that may affect their development, and what can be done to protect the next generation.

This week: It was quiet in state capitols as California lawmakers went on their planned summer hiatus. Meanwhile, in D.C., Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced a bipartisan bill focusing on copyright protection and AI training data.

An overview of the much-discussed MIT Media Lab study of cognitive activity while writing an essay with and without AI chatbot assistance. Read our TLDR, download the original study, and check out an FAQ from the authors.

The nonpartisan state legislative group named two co-chairs to lead the task force: Vermont Rep. Monique Priestley, a Democrat, and Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia, a Republican.

Earlier today President Trump released the White House’s ‘AI Action Plan,’ which lays out his Administration’s guidance for AI development and governance. We have an overview and a link to the full document.

Several states have convened task forces to recommend AI governance policies. We dropped in on a recent meeting of the Washington State group as they discussed two AI disclosure and training data transparency bills.

This week: Multiple AI-related proposals in California continued to move through the legislature ahead of the scheduled July 19-August 17 recess in Sacramento.

”AI companies are training their models on stolen material, period,” said Hawley. “We’re not talking about these companies simply scouring the internet for what’s publicly available. We’re talking about piracy.”

“No generation has ever had such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI,” said Pope Leo XIV. “But again, access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence.”