2026 new laws. AI restrictions, No gratuitous cat declawing, Diwali, more ...

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/new-california-laws-2026-21245898.php

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A California crackdown on AI chatbots

AI chatbots designed to simulate emotional or personal relationships with users are the target of Senate Bill 243. Companies operating chatbots in California must clearly disclose that users are interacting with artificial intelligence, not a human. The law also requires platforms to implement safeguards to reduce the risk of self-harm, including protocols for responding to suicidal ideation and providing crisis resources. Lawmakers describe the bill as a first-in-the-nation attempt to put guardrails around a rapidly expanding corner of consumer AI.

Law enforcement must disclose AI use

As the use of artificial intelligence becomes more and more common in workplaces, Senate Bill 524, signed into law in October, requires law enforcement agencies to disclose if they used AI to write official reports. Law enforcement agencies are now required to have an AI disclosure policy where they clearly mark that “this report was written either fully or in part using artificial intelligence.” In addition, the officer who made the report must sign their name to the document and confirm they verified the information in it.