New York bans unsafe AI chatbots for minors

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a law banning unsafe AI chatbot services for minors. "Unsafe" covers bots that pretend to be real people, create emotional dependence, encourage self-harm or suicide, encourage isolation, or contain sexually explicit or child abuse content.

The law requires companies to verify users' ages, offer multiple ways to do so, and delete the age data after use. Companies that break the law can face civil fines of up to $25,000 per violation, plus damages, or orders to destroy illegally collected data and AI models trained on it.

Data from the nonprofit Common Sense Media shows at least 72% of teens have used AI companions, and 52% chat with AI multiple times a month. Hochul said businesses in New York must put kids' safety first.

A separate law signed the same day requires baby monitor makers to make sure their devices can't be used by strangers, with clear warning labels.