The New York AI Companion Chatbot Safeguards made New York the first state to regulate emotionally responsive AI companion chatbots. Operators must tell users at the start of each interaction, and at least every three hours, that the AI companion is a computer program and not a human being.
Safety Protocols Required
Operators must maintain protocols to detect expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm and refer users to crisis services, and to address threats of harm to others. The law treats these protocols as a baseline operating requirement for the category, not an optional safety feature.
How the New York AI Companion Chatbot Safeguards Are Enforced
The rules were enacted as part of the FY2026 state budget and codified as General Business Law sections 1700 through 1704. Civil penalties run up to $15,000 per day, with proceeds funding suicide prevention programs. Any company offering companion-style AI products to New Yorkers is covered, so product teams should verify their disclosure timing and crisis-referral flows meet the statute.
Source: New York State Senate: GBL Article 47
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the New York Attorney General Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau.
