OpenAI and Common Sense Media Forge Alliance for California AI Child Safety Ballot Initiative

Two giants—one from tech, one from advocacy—are teaming up to shape the future of AI regulation where it matters most: our kids.

The Unlikely Partnership

OpenAI, the research powerhouse behind ChatGPT, is joining forces with Common Sense Media, the nonprofit known for its family-focused content ratings. Their target? A California ballot measure slated for 2026 that aims to set groundbreaking safety standards for artificial intelligence used by minors. It's a move that bypasses traditional legislative gridlock, taking the issue directly to voters.

Why This Matters Now

The initiative lands as AI tools become ubiquitous in classrooms and on kids' devices. Proponents argue current laws are outdated, built for a pre-generative AI world. The coalition wants enforceable rules on data privacy, content filters, and transparency for any AI system interacting with users under 18. Critics whisper about innovation-stifling red tape—and the potential for a costly campaign war that could make some lobbying firms very rich.

The Bottom Line

This isn't just another policy white paper. It's a strategic play to set a de facto national standard from the world's fifth-largest economy. California often leads, others follow. A successful ballot measure here could reshape product development cycles and liability frameworks from Silicon Valley to Shanghai. The finance jab? Watch for a surge in 'Ethical AI Compliance' consulting firms—the latest gold rush for middlemen in a debate about protecting the vulnerable.

Technology industry groups fought against that bill

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, rejected it, calling it too restrictive.

Newsom said he wanted lawmakers to address the issue in 2026, but added that the state “cannot prepare our youth for a future where AI is ubiquitous by preventing their use of these tools altogether.”

Common Sense Media submitted its ballot initiative proposal in October, using the vetoed bill as a model. OpenAI responded by filing its own, more limited initiative about child safety in December.

OpenAI built a team focused on California ballot measures over the summer, expecting pushback on its plans to change its organizational structure, people familiar with the situation said.

The California Chamber of Commerce, whose members include wealthy technology companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon.com, voted in December to oppose what Common Sense Media had proposed.

That same month, Lehane sat down with Steyer and suggested working out a compromise.

The two organizations had been in discussions for over a year and already had an agreement to collaborate on AI guidelines and teaching materials. During talks about a possible compromise, OpenAI built on concepts about child safety that OpenAI leader Sam Altman had talked about with California Attorney General Rob Bonta in September. These included the company’s plans to create technology for identifying users younger than 18.

What the new measure would require

The updated ballot initiative, which will replace OpenAI’s earlier filing, would make AI companies provide a different version of their service to users identified as under 18, even if those users claim they are older. It would also require companies to provide parental controls, submit to independent child-safety reviews, and stop advertising aimed at children, along with other requirements.

The compromise helps OpenAI, which has faced lawsuits from several families in the past year claiming that ChatGPT interactions harmed their relatives, including young people who took their own lives.

OpenAI called the situations described in those lawsuits “an incredibly heartbreaking situation” and mentioned recent updates it had made to ChatGPT for better handling of users experiencing mental distress.

In November, Common Sense Media published a review stating that AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Meta Platforms’s Meta AI, were “fundamentally unsafe for teen mental health support.”

Steyer, who established his organization in 2003, has consistently tried to balance confronting technology and media companies while also working with them on safety issues.

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