Technology,
Administrative/Regulatory
Jan. 2, 2026
SB 243: New safety rules for AI companion chatbots
David Lisson
Partner
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Email: david.lisson@dpw.com
David Lisson also heads the firm's GenAI litigation initiative, focused on developers, enterprise technology companies, and organizations implementing GenAI. He has extensive experience representing technology companies in their highest-stakes patent, copyright, and trade-secret cases in courts nationwide.
A focus of the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory landscape is AI "companion" chatbots--systems designed to mimic human behavior and interact with users across multiple sessions. Senate Bill 243, signed by Gov. Newsom on Oct. 13 and effective Jan. 1, 2026, will require companies that offer companion chatbot systems to California users (operators) to implement new safety guardrails, including notice requirements and protocols for responding to users in crisis...
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