Senate Bill 1700, also known as the "Curbing Harmful AI Technology (CHAT) Act," aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence systems, particularly companion chatbots, to protect minors from potential harm. The bill defines key terms such as "artificial intelligence system," "companion chatbot," and "covered product," and establishes safety requirements that prohibit operators from making companion chatbots available to minors if they can encourage self-harm, provide unregulated mental health therapy, or engage in sexually explicit interactions. Additionally, the bill mandates that developers and deployers of generative AI chatbots implement protocols for detecting suicidal ideation and provide users with crisis service referrals.

The legislation also includes provisions for data privacy, requiring parental consent before using a minor's personal information for training AI models, and transparency requirements that obligate developers to create mechanisms for reporting adverse incidents and to publish safety test findings. Furthermore, the bill outlines enforcement measures, allowing the attorney general to impose civil penalties for violations and enabling users, including minors, to seek damages. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, and applies to conduct occurring on or after that date.