Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Assembly Bill 489, a landmark bill that will protect patients from artificial intelligence (AI) systems that misrepresent themselves as licensed medical professionals. The bill, which was sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA), provides state health professions boards with the clear authority to enforce title protections against developers and deployers of such AI systems.

Authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, AB 489 addresses the growing concerns surrounding AI chatbots and their potential to mislead patients. The new law ensures that new technologies in healthcare are deployed in ways that protect patient safety, preserve patient-physician trust, and support the integrity of the medical profession.

"The passage of AB 489 is a critical victory for patient safety and transparency," said CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D. "In an era of rapidly advancing technology, it is essential that patients know when they are interacting with an AI system or a licensed human clinician. This bill safeguards the trust between patients and their doctors that forms the cornerstone of medicine, and we thank Governor Newsom for signing this vital protection into law and Assemblymember Bonta for championing this cause."

AB 489 passed the legislature with near-unanimous support, receiving 39 yes votes in the Senate and 79 yes votes in the Assembly. The bill’s enactment underscores CMA’s commitment to ensuring that emerging technologies enhance, rather than undermine, safe and high-quality patient care.  

AB 489 was part of CMA’s sponsored bill package for the 2025 legislative session.