New York AI chatbot law for minors stories

Oct 28, 2026

New York bans AI chatbots from mimicking humans and manipulating children

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation prohibiting AI chatbots from pretending to be human when interacting with users under 18, and banning features that encourage emotional dependency, secret-keeping, flattery, or inappropriate conversations with minors. The law, effective January 1, 2027, applies broadly to AI systems including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, requiring age verification or disabling of specified emotional-manipulation features.

Oct 28, 20267 sources

Top claims

▪New York's chatbot law requires AI companies to verify user ages and provide at least one verification option that does not rely solely on government-issued identification.
▪Industry group Tech:NYC and policy analysts warned that vague age verification rules and statutory wording could restrict minors' access to educational tools and risk First Amendment challenges.
▪Under New York's chatbot safety legislation, AI models are barred from generating sexually explicit content or encouraging minors to keep secrets from parents and trusted adults.

People involved

Gavin Newsom Alex Bores Kathy Hochul

Subtopics

AI and society1 AI companions1 AI Regulation1 Child safety1 Enacted artificial intelligence laws1 State politics1 U.S. AI regulation1

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