California Senate pushes bill to curb AI chatbots from acting as therapists
Senator Steve Padilla introduced SB 903 to stop AI chatbots from being marketed as therapy and to require professional oversight amid suicide-related lawsuits.
Senate Bill 903, authored by Senator Steve Padilla of San Diego, aims to restrict artificial-intelligence chatbots from delivering mental-health care by prohibiting their promotion as therapy and mandating that any therapeutic judgments be reviewed by a licensed professional. The bill also requires health providers to obtain patient consent before using AI to record or triage therapy sessions. Support comes from the California Behavioral Health Association, the National Union of Healthcare Workers and professional therapist associations, who point to wrongful-death lawsuits alleging AI contributed to suicides.
Opponents such as TechNet, represented by Robert Boykin, argue the restrictions could hamper AI tools that help address California’s shortage of behavioral-health workers. The proposal is awaiting a vote in the Assembly’s fiscal committee, while related disputes, including a union complaint against Kaiser Permanente’s e-visit screening algorithm, underscore concerns about unregulated AI in health care.
Why it matters
The bill could shape how AI is used in mental-health treatment, affecting patient safety and access to care.
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