Plain English Breakdown
The official source does not provide an effective date for when enforcement actions can begin prior to July 2027.
Companion Chatbots: Children's Safety
AB-2023 requires operators of companion chatbots to perform annual risk assessments, submit independent audits to the Attorney General by July 1, 2027, and face civil lawsuits if they cause actual harm to children.
What This Bill Does
- Requires operators to annually perform and document a comprehensive risk assessment for child safety starting on or before July 1, 2027.
- Mandates that an independent auditor checks the operator's compliance with these provisions.
- Orders auditors to submit their AI child safety audit reports to the Attorney General within 90 days of finishing the audit.
- Requires most individual audit reports to be kept confidential, except as specified in the law.
- Requires the Attorney General to issue an annual public report on these audits starting January 1, 2028.
Who It Names or Affects
- Operators who own, maintain, or control companion chatbot platforms.
- Children and minors using these artificial intelligence tools.
- Parents or guardians acting on behalf of children who suffer actual harm from a violation.
- Public prosecutors authorized to bring civil actions to enforce the bill.
Terms To Know
- Companion chatbot
- A type of artificial intelligence defined by existing law that users interact with regularly.
- Operator
- The person or company that owns, maintains, or controls the software application.
- Covered harm
- Specific types of injury to child users identified in a risk assessment as defined by the bill.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text does not list specific details on how operators must calculate 'covered harm' risks.
- It is unclear exactly which parts of the audit reports will be made public versus kept confidential, as exceptions are only noted generally.