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Committee advances ban on AI social companions for minors, citing safety concerns
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Summary
The committee voted 8–0 to pass House Bill 35 44, which would prohibit minors from accessing AI social companions and authorize civil penalties enforced by the attorney general; the sponsor described the measure as a "lifeguard type scenario" and cited research and youth self-harm incidents.
Senator Hamilton presented House Bill 35 44 to the Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee as a measure to prohibit minor access to artificial intelligence "social companions." Hamilton said the bill responds to research showing negative effects on minors’ social, emotional and physical development and asked the committee to advance the measure.
Hamilton told the panel that "this specifically refers to AI social companions, not AI that someone might use, for example, to generate a question on the, on a piece of legislation." He said the measure includes civil penalties that the attorney general could collect and argued that punishments are necessary for a law to be effective.
Committee members asked whether parental consent would allow access for minors; Hamilton said "that is not an option with this bill." Senators also queried whether the attorney general’s office had weighed in on enforceability; Hamilton said he had not personally spoken with the AG’s office but noted the bill had strong house support and few votes against it.
During closing remarks Hamilton framed the bill as a safety intervention, citing instances where young people allegedly harmed themselves after interacting with social-companion technology and mentioning UC San Francisco research that he said recorded hospitalizations tied to "social companion psychosis." He described the bill as a "lifeguard type scenario" and urged the committee to support it.
The committee voted 8 ayes, 0 nays; the chair declared House Bill 35 44 passed out of committee.