New York Law Restricts AI Companion Chatbots for Minors
Governor Kathy Hochul signs legislation requiring age checks and limiting chatbot responses that could make under-18 users believe AI systems are human or have personal relationships with them.
AI Chatbots face new restrictions for minors under legislation signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul
New York has passed a law restricting how artificial intelligence chatbots interact with minors, introducing some of the broadest proposed safeguards yet for consumer-facing AI systems.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation on Wednesday. It requires chatbot operators, including providers of services such as ChatGPT, to verify users’ ages and limit certain chatbot behaviours when users are under 18.
Under the law, chatbots used by minors cannot generate content that leads users to believe the AI system is human, alive or capable of experiencing human emotions. They also cannot present themselves as having a personal or professional relationship with the user, assume the role of an authority figure or describe generated content as a personal opinion.
“No longer will minors have access to chatbots that pretend to be their friends, boyfriends and girlfriends,” Hochul said at the signing ceremony.
She added that the legislation would also prevent chatbots from retaining sensitive information about minors’ emotional and physical health.
Tech Industry Questions the Law’s Scope
The legislation has drawn criticism from technology industry representatives, who argue that some of its language is too broad.
Tech, an industry advocacy group representing the technology sector in New York, criticised what it called the law’s “vague language”.
“Keeping kids safe online should not mean cutting them off from tools that help them learn and prepare for careers,” the group said in a statement.
The debate reflects a broader challenge for policymakers: how to protect children from potentially harmful AI interactions without unnecessarily restricting educational and other useful applications.
OpenAI and Anthropic did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the legislation.
Child-Safety Advocates Welcome the Move
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organisation that advises families on age-appropriate media, welcomed the law’s passage.
The group described it as “the strongest kids’ AI safety bill in the country”.
Its chief executive, Jim Steyer, argued that some chatbot features could put children and teenagers at risk and said the legislation would prohibit harmful interactions in New York.
The organisation’s support highlights growing concern among child-safety advocates about AI systems that simulate emotional attachment or encourage users to treat chatbots as human companions.
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US States Expand AI Safeguards
New York joins other US states, including California, that have adopted legislation aimed at regulating chatbot interactions and protecting younger users.
However, the New York law’s broad restrictions have intensified debate over how governments should define and regulate AI companionship, emotional simulation and personal relationships between users and chatbots.
The law places age verification and restrictions on AI-generated responses at the centre of its approach. Its practical impact will depend on how operators implement the requirements and how regulators interpret the provisions.
As AI tools become more common in education, entertainment and everyday communication, policymakers face increasing pressure to establish safeguards for minors while preserving access to beneficial technology.
