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Americans for Responsible Innovation Launches State-Level AI Advocacy Campaign as California Enacts Child-Safety Bills
Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), a nonprofit focused on AI governance, announced Thursday that it will launch a state‑level advocacy effort aimed at promoting responsible AI policy across all 50 states. The announcement follows California Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of two new bills designed to limit children’s exposure to AI‑powered toys and chatbots.
ARI’s communications manager, Giovanni Rocco, said the organization will target policy in every state with proposals backed by industry partners. He highlighted California as a key focus because it hosts many leading AI companies and has already seen significant lobbying activity. The group’s stated goal is to provide a “public interest perspective” as AI firms push for favorable legislation.
Founded in 2023 by technology entrepreneur Eric Gastfriend and former U.S. Representative Brad Carson of Oklahoma, ARI is primarily funded by individual contributions but also receives backing from Inclusive Abundance Action, Omidyar Network and Coefficient Giving. Carson, who served in Congress from 2001 to 2005 and was president of the University of Tulsa from 2021 to 2025, now serves as ARI’s president.
California’s new legislation, signed by Gov. Newsom on Thursday, includes Senate Bill 867 and Senate Bill 1119. SB 867 bars companies from selling toys that contain chatbots to children under 16, while SB 1119 requires operators of AI chatbots to audit their products for potential harm to children. Newsom’s statement emphasized that children’s safety must remain central as technology evolves, noting that the state’s laws are the strongest in the nation for protecting children from AI.
ARI’s strategy extends beyond child‑safety measures. The organization also aims to tighten restrictions on data center construction and operation. Rocco noted that data centers affect communities nationwide, who seek greater control over natural resources, infrastructure and tax dollars. In August, California lawmakers passed several bills that would require data centers to report water consumption and prevent operating costs from being passed on to taxpayers. Assemblymember Diane Papan, who authored a two‑bill package regulating data center water use, said in a July interview that the legislation would give communities more leadership.
Last year, Newsom signed SB 53, a bill that requires AI companies to publish safety protocols and report critical incidents to the Office of Emergency Services. According to Rocco, ARI had been closely following SB 53 and hopes to advocate for similar legislation in other states. He pointed to a range of AI risks—including data center impacts, chatbot safety, worker disruption and cybersecurity—that have surfaced in California and underscored the need for broader guardrails.
The initiative represents a coordinated effort by a nonprofit to influence state‑level AI policy in the wake of California’s aggressive regulatory actions. While ARI has not yet released a detailed legislative agenda, its focus on child safety, data center oversight and safety protocol reporting signals a push for comprehensive, public‑interest‑driven AI regulation across the United States. The organization’s expansion into California and its outreach to other states will likely shape the next wave of state‑level AI legislation.
As California’s new laws take effect, ARI’s advocacy will monitor how other states respond and whether similar measures are adopted. The group’s future activities will include lobbying for child‑safety provisions, data center reporting requirements and safety protocol mandates, while also addressing broader AI governance concerns that have emerged in the state’s regulatory landscape.
ARI’s communications manager, Giovanni Rocco, said the organization will target policy in every state with proposals backed by industry partners. He highlighted California as a key focus because it hosts many leading AI companies and has already seen significant lobbying activity. The group’s stated goal is to provide a “public interest perspective” as AI firms push for favorable legislation.
Founded in 2023 by technology entrepreneur Eric Gastfriend and former U.S. Representative Brad Carson of Oklahoma, ARI is primarily funded by individual contributions but also receives backing from Inclusive Abundance Action, Omidyar Network and Coefficient Giving. Carson, who served in Congress from 2001 to 2005 and was president of the University of Tulsa from 2021 to 2025, now serves as ARI’s president.
California’s new legislation, signed by Gov. Newsom on Thursday, includes Senate Bill 867 and Senate Bill 1119. SB 867 bars companies from selling toys that contain chatbots to children under 16, while SB 1119 requires operators of AI chatbots to audit their products for potential harm to children. Newsom’s statement emphasized that children’s safety must remain central as technology evolves, noting that the state’s laws are the strongest in the nation for protecting children from AI.
ARI’s strategy extends beyond child‑safety measures. The organization also aims to tighten restrictions on data center construction and operation. Rocco noted that data centers affect communities nationwide, who seek greater control over natural resources, infrastructure and tax dollars. In August, California lawmakers passed several bills that would require data centers to report water consumption and prevent operating costs from being passed on to taxpayers. Assemblymember Diane Papan, who authored a two‑bill package regulating data center water use, said in a July interview that the legislation would give communities more leadership.
Last year, Newsom signed SB 53, a bill that requires AI companies to publish safety protocols and report critical incidents to the Office of Emergency Services. According to Rocco, ARI had been closely following SB 53 and hopes to advocate for similar legislation in other states. He pointed to a range of AI risks—including data center impacts, chatbot safety, worker disruption and cybersecurity—that have surfaced in California and underscored the need for broader guardrails.
The initiative represents a coordinated effort by a nonprofit to influence state‑level AI policy in the wake of California’s aggressive regulatory actions. While ARI has not yet released a detailed legislative agenda, its focus on child safety, data center oversight and safety protocol reporting signals a push for comprehensive, public‑interest‑driven AI regulation across the United States. The organization’s expansion into California and its outreach to other states will likely shape the next wave of state‑level AI legislation.
As California’s new laws take effect, ARI’s advocacy will monitor how other states respond and whether similar measures are adopted. The group’s future activities will include lobbying for child‑safety provisions, data center reporting requirements and safety protocol mandates, while also addressing broader AI governance concerns that have emerged in the state’s regulatory landscape.
