New York enacts law banning unsafe AI companion chatbot features for minors
Governor Hochul signed S.9051B/A.10379C. It bars chatbot features deemed unsafe for minors, such as posing as human, claiming a personal bond with a child, encouraging self-harm or producing sexual content. The rules cover every user unless the company confirms the user is an adult. The attorney general can seek up to $25,000 per violation and order data or model destruction.
Why it matters
Any chatbot serving New York users must now verify age or switch off companion-style behaviours by default, and model destruction is among the possible remedies.