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SACROMENTO, CA – Today, Congress member Rebecca Bauer Kahan has teamed up with Common Sense Media to introduce AB 1064. The increased risk of artificial intelligence (AI).
The Act establishes the lead of the Children’s Standards Committee within government operational agencies to evaluate and regulate AI technologies used by children.
As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of education, entertainment and social interaction, concerns about its safety, privacy and ethical implications have risen. AI-powered learning tools, social media algorithms, and interactive chatbots are often widely used by children without proper monitoring. The report surfaces of AI chatbots involved in inappropriate or harmful conversations with minors.
“AI has the potential to strengthen education and support children’s development, but it cannot allow unchecked behavior,” said a member of the Bauer-Kahan council. “High-tech companies prioritize rapid development over safety, and children are exposed to untested, potentially dangerous AI applications. AB 1064 is safe to protect young users. We guarantee that we have a guard in place. We are proud to partner with Common Sense Media on this initiative to bring surveillance, accountability and transparency to the AI systems that shape the lives of our children.”
Common Sense Media is a leading nonprofit advocate for digital well-being for children and is at the forefront of addressing the risks poses by AI. The bill is also supported by organizations for Social Media Safety, Children’s Advocacy Institute, Jewish Families and Children’s Services, and the Transparent Coalition.
“This is the most important law introduced in regards to ensuring that younger AI users are protected from their potential harm,” said Common Sense, the bill’s lead sponsor with Congressional Member Rebecca. said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Media. Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). “It completely rejects the concept of increasingly popular in some circles today. The race that leads AI is the choice of first and safe. Do two people hold hands and go? We must. Our children and teens deserve the best technology our country has to offer. We are at the heart of AI innovation for our children. We proudly support this visionary commitment to placing profits. The bill’s risk assessment framework and privacy protection demonstrate California’s leadership in getting this balance right.”
Main provisions of AB 1064:
Create a Children’s Standards Committee Lead to oversee and regulate AI systems used by children and to ensure ethical development and deployment. Evaluating risk levels by developers requires more stringent requirements for high-risk systems, including classifying AI systems based on potential harm to children and including pre- and post-deployment assessments. It prohibits certain harmful AI applications aimed at children, such as emotionally manipulated AI chatbots, emotion detection systems, social scoring systems, and specific facial recognition technologies. By establishing a registry for targeted AI products, it requires incident reporting for harm caused by these systems and requires periodic independent audits to ensure transparency and oversight. Improve privacy protection by requesting positive, written parental consent before using children’s personal information to train AI models.
The law addresses the rapid expansion of AI in children’s lives without adequate regulatory oversight. AI is used to improve education personalization and learning outcomes, but risks ranging from privacy violations to psychological harm have been reported very little.
AB 1064 represents an important step in ensuring AI development prioritizes safety, privacy and ethical responsibility. By establishing clear surveillance and accountability, the law will help parents, educators and policymakers navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in children’s lives. As technology continues to advance, AB 1064 ensures that innovation is not brought about at the expense of children’s well-being.
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