Will California Become The First State To Ban AI Toys For Kids?

A new wave of legislative scrutiny is hitting the toy box as California lawmakers weigh the potential psychological risks of artificial intelligence on the state’s youngest residents. Could we be seeing the country's first (short-term) ban on AI smart toys?

Last week, San Diego State Senator Steve Padilla introduced a bill that would impose a four-year moratorium on the manufacturing and sale of toys equipped with AI chatbot capabilities for children under 18. The proposal seeks to hit the pause button on an industry that is rapidly moving toward interactive, conversational playthings, such as plushies and robots that can engage in unscripted dialogue. Padilla argues that the technology is evolving much faster than our understanding of its impact on childhood development, asserting that children should not be used as "lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on."

The push for a ban comes in the wake of disturbing ...