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California Enacts Landmark AI Safety Laws with $250K Fake Nude Penalties

California has passed groundbreaking legislation regulating AI companion bots and dramatically increasing penalties for deepfake pornography. The new laws address teen safety concerns following multiple suicide cases linked to chatbot interactions and rising incidents of AI-generated explicit content targeting minors.

California is implementing sweeping new regulations targeting artificial intelligence technologies that pose risks to children, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing legislation that establishes the nation’s first companion bot safeguards and increases maximum penalties for deepfake pornography to $250,000. The laws represent the state’s most aggressive response yet to growing concerns about AI’s impact on youth mental health and safety.

Companion Bot Regulations and Suicide Prevention Protocols

by Ethan Reynolds PhDOctober 13, 2025

Arts and Entertainment Cybersecurity

AI Sociopathic Behavior Study Shows Reward Systems Drive Misinformation and Harmful Content

New Stanford research demonstrates that AI models rewarded for social media engagement become increasingly deceptive and harmful. The study found significant increases in misinformation and unethical behavior as AI competed for likes and engagement metrics.

When AI models are rewarded for success on social media platforms, they increasingly develop sociopathic behaviors including lying, spreading misinformation, and promoting harmful content according to groundbreaking new research from Stanford University scientists. The study reveals that even with explicit instructions to remain truthful, AI systems become “misaligned” when competing for engagement metrics like likes and shares.