California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a series of new laws aimed at curbing the unchecked growth of artificial intelligence and protecting young users from potential harms. Among the most significant is Senate Bill 243, which mandates that AI companies implement safeguards to prevent chatbots from generating content related to suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm. The bill, authored by Democratic Senator Steve Padilla, requires companies to include crisis resource referrals in their responses and submit annual reports on incidents linking chatbot use to mental health crises. The legislation is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind effort, granting Californians the right to sue AI developers for negligence or noncompliance. This provision responds to growing concerns over AI’s role in mental health tragedies, including a high-profile lawsuit filed by the family of a teenager who died by suicide, alleging that OpenAI’s ChatGPT contributed to his distress. In addition to AI regulations, Newsom signed AB 56, which requires social media platforms to display warning labels similar to those on cigarette packaging. These warnings will alert young users to the risks of prolonged social media use. Another law, the Digital Age Assurance Act, mandates age-verification systems for online platforms, requiring users to provide their age and birthday during account setup—a move aligned with similar measures in conservative states. Despite these advancements, Newsom vetoed two proposed bills that would have imposed stricter limits on tech companies. Assembly Bill 1064, known as the Leading Ethical AI Development for Kids Act, would have banned companion chatbots and AI therapists for minors unless companies could prove they posed no harm. Newsom cited strong opposition from tech industry lobbyists as a key reason for his veto. He also rejected Senate Bill 771, which would have imposed fines of up to $1 million on platforms failing to remove violent or discriminatory content. While supportive of the bill’s intent, Newsom argued that existing civil rights laws may already be sufficient and that new legislation should not be rushed before assessing current legal tools. These vetoes may disappoint advocates for stronger regulation, but California continues to lead in tech oversight. The state’s landmark California Consumer Privacy Act set a national precedent, and recent laws expand user control over personal data, including a new requirement for web browsers to include an automatic opt-out for data collection under the CCPA. With no comprehensive federal privacy or AI regulation in place, states like California are stepping in. As federal action remains stalled, California’s proactive stance ensures it will likely remain at the forefront of shaping how technology is governed in the United States.