Governor Newsom signs bills on AI, child safety, and antisemitism

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of high-profile bills aimed at tightening California’s rules on artificial intelligence, online safety, and antisemitism in public schools, part of a final push before the deadline to act on hundreds of measures from this year’s legislative session.

The governor approved a broad package focused on protecting children online, including new safeguards for AI chatbots, mandatory age verification, and social media warning labels. The laws also increase penalties for distributing deepfake pornography and require schools to adopt anti-cyberbullying policies covering off-campus conduct.

“Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect – but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids, Governor Newsom said in statement. "We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability. We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.”

Among the signed bills:

• SB 243 requires AI “companion chatbots” to disclose they are artificial, block explicit content for minors, and provide suicide-prevention resources.
• AB 1043 mandates age-verification features in apps and operating systems.
• AB 621 allows victims of deepfake pornography, including minors, to seek civil damages of up to $250,000.
• AB 715 establishes a new Office of the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator within California’s public school system to track complaints and develop educator training.

This is a developing story and will be updated with further information as it becomes available.