California's Senate Bill 903 would limit AI from operating as a standalone therapist by banning marketing that presents chatbots as substitutes for professional care, requiring clinician review of therapeutic recommendations, and securing patient consent before recording or triage. Supporters say the bill protects patients; critics warn it could slow access to care during workforce shortages. Studies show rising chatbot use among young people and frequent encounters between patients and psychologists involving AI-based support.
California Moves To Curb 'AI Therapists' With Senate Bill 903
California wants to ban AI therapists as thousands turn to chatbots for mental healthcare
California lawmakers are advancing Senate Bill 903, a proposal to limit the use of artificial intelligence as a standalone mental health therapist as public use of chatbot-based mental health tools surges.
What SB 903 Would Do
The bill would:
- Prohibit companies from advertising chatbots as a substitute for professional therapy.
- Bar AI systems from making therapeutic decisions unless those recommendations are reviewed by a licensed clinician.
- Require explicit patient consent before providers use AI to record therapy sessions or to triage care.
"AI has many upsides, and the possibility to improve the lives of Californians across the state, but only if we ensure it is used responsibly," said state Senator Steve Padilla of San Diego, who introduced the measure.
"AI algorithms are not fit to take over the job of human therapists, who have skills and training that AI is incapable of replicating. We must act and place guardrails that prevent AI algorithms from being deployed in a way that is potentially harmful to patients."
Supporters, Critics, And Industry Response
Supporters argue SB 903 protects patients from unregulated systems that may offer unsafe or misleading mental health guidance. Critics — including some industry groups — warn the bill could slow legitimate, helpful clinical uses of AI and create a "clinician bottleneck" that delays access to care.
California lawmakers are pushing to ban AI chatbots explicitly offering themselves as therapists (Getty/iStock)
"At a time when every county in California faces a shortage of behavioral healthcare workers, SB 903 still puts a clinician bottleneck in front of the intake and screening tools that help patients reach care faster," said Robert Boykin, California executive director of TechNet.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which supports the bill, filed a complaint alleging that Kaiser Permanente used an automated "e-visit" system without clinician oversight to recommend care and provide initial evaluations for patients with anxiety or depression. Kaiser responded that it "does not use AI to diagnose patients, make clinical decisions, or determine medical necessity" and says the union mischaracterized its process.
Data, Research, And Safety Concerns
Research shows growing reliance on AI-driven tools for mental health support. A 2025 study from RAND in collaboration with the Brown University School of Public Health and Harvard University found roughly one in eight adolescents and young adults have turned to chatbots for mental health help. An American Psychological Association study this year reported that 77% of psychologists have spoken with patients who used AI for support or engagement.
There are lingering concerns about the quality and transparency of chatbot advice. "There are few standardized benchmarks for evaluating mental health advice offered by AI chatbots, and there is limited transparency about the datasets used to train these models," said Jonathan Cantor, a senior policy researcher at RAND.
The makers of multiple popular AI tools have faced lawsuits accusing them of being partially responsible for suicides (AFP/Getty)
OpenAI has disclosed it receives an estimated 1.2 million weekly messages containing "explicit indicators of potential suicidal planning or intent," underscoring the real-world stakes when users seek crisis support from automated systems. Developers of conversational AI have faced lawsuits alleging their tools played a role in youth suicides.
Why People Turn To AI
Experts say long waitlists and limited access to in-person therapy have helped drive people toward chatbot-based support. "Given long waiting lists and difficulty accessing mental health care and therapy in many countries, it's perhaps not a surprise that increasing numbers are turning to generative AI for support with their emotional wellbeing," said Hamilton Morrin, a clinical fellow in neuropsychiatry at King's College London.
If you are experiencing distress or struggling to cope: in the UK and Republic of Ireland contact Samaritans at 116 123 or visit the Samaritans website. In the United States, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for confidential 24/7 support. If you are elsewhere, visit www.befrienders.org to find a local helpline.
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