California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 44 other state and territorial attorneys general in issuing a stern warning to major artificial intelligence (AI) companies over the risks their products pose to children. The joint letter, sent August 25 to 12 leading AI firms—including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Anthropic, Apple, and xAI—follows reports of chatbots engaging in sexually inappropriate conversations with minors .
The attorneys general declared that exposing children to sexualized content through AI chatbots is “indefensible” and said companies will be held accountable under state consumer protection and criminal laws. “When faced with the opportunity to exercise judgment about how your products treat kids, you must prioritize their well-being,” the letter stated. “Don’t hurt kids. That is an easy bright line that lets you know exactly how to proceed” .
Bonta emphasized that California, the world’s fourth-largest economy, is committed to both innovation and child protection. “Exposing children to sexualized content is indefensible. Full stop,” he said in the announcement. “AI companies who make choices that lead their technology to harm children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The letter highlights several recent cases, including internal Meta documents showing chatbots permitted to flirt with children as young as eight, and lawsuits alleging Google’s and Character.ai’s chatbots engaged in harmful conversations that contributed to tragic outcomes. The coalition noted these incidents reflect broader systemic risks to youth from poorly safeguarded AI technologies .
This warning builds on Bonta’s recent legal actions against tech companies. His office is already suing Meta and TikTok over alleged efforts to addict children to social media. Earlier this year, he issued legal advisories reminding businesses that AI must comply with California law.
The attorneys general signaled they are monitoring closely. “The potential harms of AI, like the potential benefits, dwarf the impact of social media,” the letter concluded. “If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it.”
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