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AI News Roundup – California governor approves further AI regulation bills, ByteDance’s Doubao becomes most popular Chinese chat bot, Walmart to offer shopping through ChatGPT, and more

To help you stay on top of the latest news, our AI practice group has compiled a roundup of the developments we are following.

- California has passed several new AI regulation bills (and rejected others), according to a report from CNBC. Several of the bills are focused on concerns related to minors interacting with AI. For instance, SB 243 requires AI chatbots to disclose that they are indeed AI chatbots, as well as inform minors to take a break every three hours. Another bill, AB 1043, requires device makers to provide tools to allow apps and services to verify users’ ages. AB 1043 was endorsed by several Big Tech companies, including Google and Meta. Not all AI-related bills were approved, however. Newsom vetoed AB 1064, which would have banned companies from making AI chatbots available to minors unless they followed strict content guidelines regarding explicit content. These actions take place only a few weeks after Newsom approved a first-of-its-kind comprehensive AI regulation bill (as reported by this AI Roundup). California, as the U.S.’s largest state economy and home of Silicon Valley, undoubtedly has had a major impact on the development and deployment of AI, and the new laws will likely be no exception. Implementation of the bills is expected in the coming months.
- WIRED reports on China’s most popular AI chatbot: ByteDance’s Doubao. The TikTok developer has reclaimed the title from DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup that roiled global markets in January, with over 157 million monthly active users in comparison to 143 million for DeepSeek. Doubao is ranked as the fourth most popular generative AI app globally in August 2025, behind U.S. competitors ChatGPT and Gemini. Doubao differs from many chatbots in that, rather than a text-based interface, the app interacts with users through a female cartoon avatar. Doubao offers many types of generative AI services often split among different AI apps in the West, including text, audio, image, and video generation. The chatbot also integrates with Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which has allowed ByteDance to attract a massive number of users, especially those that may not be as familiar with AI technology. ByteDance is planning to integrate the chatbot into other technologies, partnering with smart glasses manufacturers, carmakers such as Tesla, and others to expand its reach beyond the smartphone app.
- Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to allow shopping at the retail giant through ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg. This fall, ChatGPT will offer a “buy” button for many Walmart items, including many non-fresh-food items such as apparel and prepackaged snacks. Users would be able to link their Walmart or Sam’s Club accounts to ChatGPT to allow for payment. The use of AI tools in everyday tasks has been rapidly growing, especially shopping, as customers seek to compare prices and reviews. OpenAI has struck deals with Etsy and Shopify to allow for similar shopping integrations for ChatGPT with their platforms. In the case of Walmart, it expands a partnership that also will include a certification program to teach workers how to use AI for their jobs. Walmart has been integrating AI into nearly every facet of its corporate operations, from ordering inventory to schedule planning, and the new ChatGPT feature aims to deepen this integration into the shopper experience as well.
- Ars Technica reports on further AI features coming to Microsoft’s Windows operating system. This past week, the company announced new updates to Windows 11 aimed to “make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC.” A new voice feature will allow a user to prompt Microsoft’s Copilot model with a “Hey, Copilot,” phrase, while Copilot Vision, a feature that allows AI to view and respond to what is on a user’s screen, will be rolled out worldwide. Ars Technica opines that Microsoft is moving AI features into the core of the Windows operating system, beyond the browser or other apps as they had previously been limited. It is unknown when the new features will be introduced into Windows, as they are not included in the latest Windows 11 25H2 update.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will soon update the behavior of ChatGPT, according to BBC News. In a post on X, Altman announced that forthcoming updates to ChatGPT would allow the chatbot to behave in a more human way and to “treat adult users like adults.” Altman said that the company had previously restricted ChatGPT to address possible effects on users’ mental health, but that the issues have since been mitigated. The changes were made in response to a lawsuit brought against OpenAI by parents of a U.S. teenager who committed suicide after using ChatGPT. Altman announced that ChatGPT would be more age-gated this December, and that ChatGPT would allow verified adult users to generate adult content. Critics of OpenAI’s announcement were doubtful that the company would be able to ensure that minors were unable to have access to adult content, and pointed to the need for further state and federal regulation to address the risks of AI chatbots, especially in the context of underaged users.

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About the Authors

Michael S. Borella

Michael S. Borella is Co-Chair of MBHB’s Artificial Intelligence Practice Group and Chair of the firm’s Software and Business Methods Practice Group. Dr. Borella leverages his knowledge of complex software to help his clients – from individual inventors and global technology companies – solve intellectual property challenges and build and manage patent portfolios. Dr. Borella is a named inventor on more than 70 U.S. patent applications and has drafted or been involved in the prosecution of hundreds of patents in the U.S. and around the world. Clients also seek Dr. Borella’s counsel on patent eligibility, validity, infringement, patentability analyses and litigation matters.

Aaron V. Gin

With deep expertise in electrical engineering and computer science, Aaron Gin, Ph.D., helps clients secure intellectual property rights for their innovative technologies. Dr. Gin prepares and prosecutes U.S. and foreign applications for patents and trademarks. He also advises clients on patent validity, infringement, and patentability.

Luke P. Koenigsknecht

Luke P. Koenigsknecht concentrates his practice on intellectual property law matters, including patent preparation and prosecution in the electrical & software practice areas. Mr. Koenigsknecht draws on his academic background in computer engineering to support patent prosecution activities related to a variety of technologies.

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