Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed Senate Bill 243 into law on Monday, establishing the first statewide legislation designed to safeguard children in their interactions with artificial intelligence-powered chatbots. “Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect – but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people