Amends the Business and Professions Code to require operators to notify users when interacting with companion chatbots that are artificially generated. Requires operators to maintain protocols to prevent chatbots from producing content related to suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm, including notifications referring users to crisis service providers. Obligates operators to publish details of these protocols on their websites. Instructs operators to notify minors interacting with chatbots that the interaction is with artificial intelligence. Directs operators to provide reminders to minors every three hours to take breaks and disclose that the chatbot is artificially generated. Requires operators to prevent chatbots from producing or facilitating sexually explicit material or suggestions for minors.
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California SB-300 (Companion chatbots).
ETO AGORA · U.S. state and local documents · 2025
Summary
Amends the Business and Professions Code to require operators to notify users when interacting with companion chatbots that are artificially generated.
Requires operators to maintain protocols to prevent chatbots from producing content related to suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm, including notifications referring users to crisis service providers.
Obligates operators to publish details of these protocols on their websites.
Instructs operators to notify minors interacting with chatbots that the interaction is with artificial intelligence.
Directs operators to provide reminders to minors every three hours to take breaks and disclose that the chatbot is artificially generated.
Requires operators to prevent chatbots from producing or facilitating sexually explicit material or suggestions for minors.
Requires operators to notify users when a companion chatbot is artificially generated, preventing misidentification as human.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 22602 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 1 of Chapter 677 of the Statutes of 2025, is amended to read: 22602. (a) If a reasonable person interacting with a companion chatbot would be misled to believe that the person is interacting with a human, an operator shall issue a clear and conspicuous notification indicating that the companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human.
Requires operators to prevent chatbots from producing self-harm content and publish protocol details online.
(b) (1) An operator shall prevent a companion chatbot on its companion chatbot platform from engaging with users unless the operator maintains a protocol for preventing the production of suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm content to the user, including, but not limited to, by providing a notification to the user that refers the user to crisis service providers, including a suicide hotline or crisis text line, if the user expresses suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm. (2) The operator shall publish details on the protocol required by this subdivision on the operator’s internet website.
Requires operators to disclose AI usage, remind breaks, and prevent explicit content for minor users.
(c) When an operator has actual knowledge that a user is a minor, they shall do all of the following: (1) Disclose to the user that the user is interacting with artificial intelligence. (2) Provide by default a clear and conspicuous notification to the user at least every three hours for continuing companion chatbot interactions that reminds the user to take a break and that the companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human. (3) Prevent its companion chatbot from producing or facilitating the exchange of material of sexually explicit conduct or directly stating that the minor should engage in sexually explicit conduct.