California Mother Advocates for AI Chatbot Regulations After Son's Suicide

A California mother whose 16-year-old son died by suicide after conversations with ChatGPT is advocating for state legislation to regulate AI chatbots. Maria Raine appeared in Sacramento on Monday to support two bills that would require stricter safety protocols for companion chatbots.

She stated that she was surprised to learn the chatbot had no mechanisms to alert authorities despite indications of suicidal intent. Maria Raine said at a press conference that the chatbot was aware her son was suicidal with a plan, but no notifications were made, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Her son, Adam Raine, began using OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o in 2024 for homework and college applications. Over time, he discussed emotional issues and suicidal thoughts with the system.

to a lawsuit filed by the parents in August in San Francisco Superior Court, the chatbot mentioned suicide approximately 1,300 times in conversations with Adam Raine, which was about six times more often than he did. The suit states that on April 11, 2025, Adam Raine sent the chatbot a photo of a noose tied to a closet rod and asked if it would work.

Hours later, he was found dead using a setup described in the lawsuit as matching the one the chatbot had outlined. The complaint alleges that the chatbot affirmed the plan, described it as beautiful, and offered to help write a suicide note. Maria Raine testified that she believes her son would not have been suicidal without the interactions with ChatGPT.

The lawsuit remains ongoing.

Support Maria Raine is supporting Senate Bill 1119 and Assembly Bill 2023, which would mandate AI developers to implement design changes, conduct annual risk audits, and provide parental alerts for concerning interactions involving minors. The bills would also prohibit chatbots from encouraging self-harm, providing health advice to children, engaging in obscene conduct, discouraging outside help, or giving overly affirmative responses.

Additionally, the proposals include a public reporting system for AI-related harms and allow individuals to sue companies for injuries caused by chatbots. State Sen. Steve Padilla authored SB 1119, building on a previous measure that requires chatbots to direct users with suicidal thoughts to crisis resources; a broader version was vetoed by Gov.

Gavin Newsom. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, chair of the state Assembly’s Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, described the legislation as important and stated that tools causing harm to children should be regulated, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Industry groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce and tech advocacy organizations, oppose the bills, arguing they are too broad and could affect adult users. Some youth and family advocacy groups support the measures, while others say they do not go far enough.

The federal government has indicated it will not pursue comprehensive AI regulations. Matthew Raine, the father, testified before the United States Senate in September 2025 about the risks of AI chatbots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2,000 high school students die by suicide each year in the United States.

ChatGPT reached 100 million users within two months of its launch.