New York Chatbot Law Bans AI 'Friends' for Under-18s

The New York chatbot law signed on Wednesday is one of the broadest attempts yet to keep AI companions away from kids, and it could change how apps like ChatGPT, Character.AI and Replika behave for anyone under eighteen. Gov. Kathy Hochul put her name on the bill and said minors will "no longer" have access to chatbots that pretend to be their friends, boyfriends or girlfriends.

What the New York chatbot law bans

According to AP News, the legislation lays out a dozen definitions of "unsafe AI companion features" that are prohibited whenever a companion chatbot talks to a child under eighteen. The list covers a lot of ground, and it targets the exact behaviours that critics say make AI companions feel so sticky.

Chatbots can no longer suggest they are a real person with emotions, opinions or an actual relationship with the child. Fortune reports that they also cannot claim a romantic, personal, professional or authority-figure relationship, and they cannot use flattery or people-pleasing replies built to keep kids engaged.

The rules go further than tone. As Mashable reports, minors will not be able to talk with chatbots that promote or give advice about drug or alcohol use, eating disorders, self-harm or suicide. Bots will also be banned from encouraging kids to keep secrets, from discussing sexually explicit content, and from pulling up a child's private health information from earlier conversations.

Age checks and who has to follow the rules

This is not only a rule for dedicated companion apps. The Verge reports that AI companies must verify the ages of users and include at least one option that does not depend solely on government ID. Fortune adds that the bar applies to anyone under eighteen, or any user whose age the company has not confirmed.

That detail matters. It means a general-purpose assistant could end up in the same category as a romance-style companion bot if it cannot prove who is on the other end. Common Sense Media, which led the advocacy campaign for the bill, named ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Snap's My AI, Character.AI and Replika as the kinds of products the law is meant to cover.

Hochul's pitch and the penalties

At the signing, Hochul said the bill would stop kids from being coached by machines that create "the illusion of care and concern but actually create the opposite effect." She also added that she was not sure why a law was needed against something so obvious as chatbots that might encourage thoughts of suicide.

The enforcement side has teeth. AP News reports that a violation could expose a chatbot developer to a lawsuit from the state attorney general's office, with penalties that could include monetary damages, shutting down the chatbot and destroying data.

One thing to watch is timing. AP says the law takes effect January first, while Nexstar's local coverage gave a later date in two thousand twenty-seven, so companies and families should check the final text before assuming a deadline.

Why it matters beyond New York

AP describes the move as part of a wider push by states to protect children who use artificial intelligence, regulate how employers deploy AI systems and push developers to prevent an AI-caused catastrophe. New York and California are leading that charge, and experts quoted by AP say these state laws could become models for others in the absence of federal rules.

There is also a catch. AP notes that some parts of the law remain broadly defined, which could mean legal fights over what counts as flattery, or as a chatbot implying it has an opinion. Tech companies will have to decide whether to build New York-only versions or roll the strictest settings out everywhere.

For Gen Z, who grew up as the first group to chat with AI as a daily habit, the bigger question is cultural. If an AI friend that always agrees with you is suddenly off limits for teens, what replaces it? Keep an eye on our tech desk for how companies respond, because the New York chatbot law is likely to be copied, challenged, or both.