New York Governor Hochul signs new law barring AI chatbots from pretending to be human to users under 18 or offering unsafe features
New law signed by Hochul bans AI chatbots pretending to be human or having unsafe features for children under 18 - Newsday
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Wednesday barring AI chatbots from offering features deemed unsafe to users under 18, including pretending to be human and claiming a personal, romantic or professional relationship with a child. Starting January 1, the bill requires companies to verify users' ages and offer multiple verification methods, at least one of which cannot rely solely on government ID. Banned features also include promoting suicide or self-harm, providing sexual content, and posing emotional questions to children without prompting. The state attorney general can seek civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation and can require destruction of illegally collected data or AI models trained on that data. A Common Sense Media survey found that 72% of teens aged 13 to 17 have used AI companion products, and 52% are regular users who interact at least several times a month.
The New York State law lists prohibited chatbot features and civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, and can serve as a sample for observing how states regulate AI companion products.