Assembly BillChaptered/SignedCivil
AB 316: Artificial intelligence: defenses.
What AB 316 does, verified December 13, 2025
This law adds a new section to the civil code that affects civil actions. The new section aims to provide clearer protections for individuals who are harmed by artificial intelligence. Developers of artificial intelligence systems or services that are released publicly must provide documentation about the data used to train the system. A new provision prohibits defendants from using the "autonomous cause" defense, which would have allowed them to claim that the artificial intelligence caused the harm. This change helps to hold developers more accountable for the harm caused by their AI systems and provides greater clarity for individuals who are affected by these systems.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 672, Statutes of 2025. (2025-10-13)Alert me
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| Oct. 13, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 672, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 16, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| Sep. 09, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3102.). |
| Sep. 09, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3102.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 13, 2025 · 336 words
Assembly Bill No. 316
CHAPTER 672
An act to add Section 1714.46 to the Civil Code, relating to civil actions.
[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 316, Krell. Artificial intelligence: defenses.
Existing law provides that everyone is responsible not only for the result of their willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by their want of ordinary care or skill in the management of their property or person.
Existing law requires the developer of a generative artificial intelligence system or service that is released on or after January 1, 2022, and made publicly available to Californians for use, to post on the developer's internet website documentation regarding the data used by the developer to train the generative artificial intelligence system or service. Existing law defines “artificial intelligence” for these purposes.
This bill would prohibit a defendant who developed, modified, or used artificial intelligence, as defined, from asserting a defense that the artificial intelligence autonomously caused the harm to the plaintiff.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1714.46 is added to the Civil Code, to read:1714.46.
(a) “Artificial intelligence” means an engineered or machine-based system that varies in its level of autonomy and that can, for explicit or implicit objectives, infer from the input it receives how to generate outputs that can influence physical or virtual environments.(b) In an action against a defendant who developed, modified, or used artificial intelligence that is alleged to have caused a harm to the plaintiff, it shall not be a defense, and the defendant may not assert, that the artificial intelligence autonomously caused the harm to the plaintiff.
(c) This section does not limit or preclude a defendant from presenting either of the following:
(1) Any other affirmative defense, including evidence relevant to causation or foreseeability.
(2) Other evidence relevant to the comparative fault of any other person or entity.
Text of AB 316 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions