New York legislation bans unsafe chatbot behavior toward minors as states advance the boundaries of AI regulation
NY enacts ban on ‘unsafe’ chatbot behavior with kids as states push AI regulation boundaries - Times of Wayne County
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill prohibiting companion chatbots from exhibiting more than a dozen defined "unsafe AI companion features" when interacting with minors under 18; the law takes effect on January 1. Prohibited behaviors include implying that the chatbot is a real person with emotions, opinions or real relationships, as well as using flattery, sexually explicit content, or encouraging secrecy and unhealthy behaviors; violating developers could be sued by the state attorney general, with penalties including monetary damages, shutting down the chatbot and destroying data. With Congress taking little action, states are stepping up regulation of AI through consumer protection laws; California signed a law in September requiring chatbot developers to assess risks to children and undergo independent audits, and eight states sued OpenAI earlier this month, alleging its chat models violate state consumer protection laws, harm children and deceive adults.
A new New York State law prohibits chatbots from implying to minors that they have an emotional or real relationship, among other behaviors; violations can be sued by the state attorney general, and experts say some provisions are broadly worded and may increase enforcement difficulty.