New York law restricts AI chatbot interactions with minors
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a law restricting how AI chatbots interact with children and teenagers. It requires companies to check users’ ages and limits chatbot behaviour for users under 18, or whose adult status has not been confirmed, aiming to reduce risks to children’s safety and wellbeing.
Chatbots must not present themselves as human or claim personal relationships with minors, solicit emotional disclosures unprompted, or encourage self-harm, substance use, secrecy or isolation. Companies must offer an age-check method that does not rely solely on government ID and delete age information after use; violations can incur civil penalties of up to $25,000 each. The law takes effect in six months. Hochul also signed a separate measure requiring internet-connected baby monitors sold in New York to prevent unauthorised access and carry security warnings; it takes effect in 90 days.
In short
- New York has set limits on chatbots used by minors.
- Violations can bring penalties of up to $25,000 each.
- A separate law adds safeguards for connected baby monitors.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that children may be especially vulnerable to chatbots that simulate intimacy or encourage dangerous behaviour, so age checks and clear limits can reduce foreseeable harm. They see the law’s privacy safeguards and penalties as a way to protect young users while making companies accountable for how their products behave.
The case against
Critics may accept the aim of protecting children but argue that broad rules and uncertain age verification could restrict harmless conversations, create privacy risks, or discourage useful support and learning tools. They may favour narrower safeguards and parental controls, warning that compliance costs could make services less accessible without reliably keeping minors away from harmful content.
Explained simply
AI chatbots are computer programmes that respond to people in conversation, often using artificial intelligence to generate replies. Children and teenagers may use them for information, entertainment or companionship, but the systems can produce misleading or inappropriate responses.
New York’s law sets rules for companies that provide these chatbots to people under 18, and to users whose age has not been confirmed. It addresses how chatbots describe themselves and how they respond to topics such as emotional distress, self-harm and substance use.
The rules also require companies to offer an age-check option that does not depend only on government identification, and to delete age information after checking it. They are part of a broader effort to address the safety and wellbeing of young people using online services.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Engadget as “New York governor signs AI chatbot child safety law”.