California bill proposes four-year ban on AI toys for children

On Monday, California State Senator Steve Padilla introduced SB 867, a state bill that would place a four-year ban on the sale and manufacture of toys featuring AI chatbot capabilities for kids under 18. The proposed legislation aims to pause the market to give safety regulators the necessary time to establish safety frameworks. According to Senator Padilla, the temporary halt is designed to protect children from dangerous AI interactions while the state drafts appropriate guidelines. Padilla noted that current safety regulations are in their infancy and must grow alongside the technology’s capabilities, stating that a pause allows time to craft appropriate safety guidelines and frameworks.

The introduction of the bill comes amid a complex US regulatory landscape. President Trump recently issued an executive order directing federal agencies to challenge state AI laws in court. However, this executive order explicitly includes exceptions for state-level regulations concerning child safety, leaving a legal path forward for California’s proposed restrictions.

The legislative push follows several concerning developments involving children and conversational artificial intelligence. Lawmakers have faced growing pressure following lawsuits filed by families whose children died by suicide after engaging in prolonged conversations with chatbots. While AI-enabled toys are not yet mainstream, early products have already raised alarms. In November 2025, the consumer advocacy group PIRG Education Fund warned of troubling interactions with existing products. For instance, the group noted that Kumma, a toy bear with a built-in chatbot, could be easily prompted to talk about matches, knives, and sexual topics. Additionally, the Miiloo toy, an AI-enabled product manufactured by the Chinese company Miriat, has also drawn scrutiny for its conversational outputs.

Commercial developers are also navigating this shifting landscape. OpenAI and toy manufacturer Mattel were slated to release an AI-powered product in 2025, but the companies delayed the release. It is not clear if they plan to release a toy in 2026, and neither company has explained the delay. Senator Padilla emphasized the need for precautionary boundaries before these technologies enter children’s playrooms. “Our children cannot be used as lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on,” Padilla said.

Why it matters

The proposed bill highlights the growing tension between the rapid deployment of AI in consumer goods and the lack of established safety frameworks, specifically regarding child protection in the US market.