Artificial intelligence is no longer a novelty. It is in the apps students use for schoolwork, the platforms they engage with socially and the devices they carry with them every day. Safeguards on the technology have not been as swift.

California has long been a leader when it comes to protecting children. We regulate what kids see on television, restrict advertising to minors, protect their data in schools and set standards for the products they use. But when it comes to artificial intelligence, there are virtually no rules in place to shield children or give parents the tools they need to monitor and control their kids’ use.

That needs to change. 

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In just a few years, AI has moved from a novelty to a daily presence in the lives of young people. It’s embedded in the apps students use for schoolwork, the platforms they engage with socially and the devices they carry with them every day. These AI tools can write, code and create in ways that would have once seemed unimaginable — and their adoption has been unprecedented.

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Today, roughly 62% of U.S. adults interact with AI weekly, whether at work or at home, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Children are adopting AI even faster. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. teens surveyed by Pew reported using AI chatbots. More than 80% of high school........

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