Maria Raine, the mother of 16-year-old Adam Raine from Orange County, is urging California lawmakers to regulate AI “companion” chatbots after her son died by suicide last year.
Adam had shared his suicidal thoughts with ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI. Maria expressed her distress, stating, “I was mortified as a mother and as a therapist that this knew he was suicidal with a plan and no alarm bells went off.”
On Monday, Maria spoke at a news conference in Sacramento, advocating for two legislative bills—Assembly Bill 2023 and Senate Bill 1119. These bills, introduced by state Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Buffy Wicks, aim to enforce annual risk assessments for chatbots, independent audits, and crisis resource referrals if a minor expresses suicidal ideation. If a child’s account is linked to a parent’s, the parent would be notified within 24 hours.
The bills face opposition from industry groups like the Chamber of Commerce and TechNet, who argue the legislation is too broad. However, supporters, including Children Now and Common Sense Media, emphasize the need for safety measures. According to the Los Angeles Times, Padilla said, “We can support technological innovation and make sure that it’s safe for everyone to use.”
The bills also propose prohibiting chatbots from encouraging self-harm, giving health advice to children, or engaging in obscene behavior. They would require parental control over settings like time limits and prohibit selling children’s data without consent.
Maria Raine’s advocacy highlights the urgent need for regulation in AI technology to protect children. The bills are scheduled for hearings this week. As Maria stated, “We need to require that these tools do better.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
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