New York Signs Law Restricting How AI Chatbots Can Interact With Minors

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on October 28 that places new restrictions on how artificial intelligence chatbots can interact with children. The law targets what it defines as "unsafe AI companion features" and applies whenever a chatbot user is under 18 or a company has not verified the user's age.

Under the measure, chatbot operators may not let their systems claim to be a real person, suggest they have genuine human emotions, or imply they share a real relationship with a minor. The law also bars chatbots from encouraging self-harm, disordered eating, or underage drug and alcohol use during conversations with young users.

Companies will have to verify a user's age through at least one method that does not rely solely on a government-issued ID before turning on features that are off-limits to minors. The law is set to take effect January 1, 2027, giving chatbot makers more than a year to adjust their products.

Enforcement falls to the New York attorney general's office, which can pursue civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation. The rules are written broadly enough to reach both companion-style apps built for ongoing relationships and general-purpose AI assistants that children might use for schoolwork or casual conversation.

Industry groups pushed back quickly. Tech:NYC, which represents technology companies operating in the state, criticized the law's language as vague, while the Business Council of New York State said it does not carve out an exception for AI tools used specifically for education.

The law follows growing concern among lawmakers and child-safety advocates about children forming emotional attachments to AI chatbots and about chatbots offering harmful advice during sensitive conversations. New York is among several states that have moved this year to put guardrails on how AI companion products interact with young users.