A new law in New York requires operators of artificial intelligence chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to verify users’ ages and limit certain chatbot features for individuals under 18.
Under the legislation, chatbots interacting with minors are prohibited from generating content that could lead users to believe the AI is human, alive or capable of experiencing human emotions.
The law also bars chatbots from presenting themselves as having personal or professional relationships with minors, assuming the role of an authority figure, or portraying generated content as a personal opinion.
“ No longer will minors have access to chatbots that pretend to be their friends, boyfriends and girlfriends,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a signing ceremony on Wednesday.
Hochul added that chatbots would no longer be permitted to retain sensitive information concerning minors’ emotional and physical health.
Several other US states, including California, have introduced legislation to regulate AI chatbots. However, Hochul’s law uses broad language to govern the technology, drawing criticism from parts of the AI industry.
Tech, a technology industry advocacy group representing businesses in New York, raised concerns over what it described as the legislation’s “vague language.”
“Keeping kids safe online should not mean cutting them off from tools that help them learn and prepare for careers,” the group said in a statement.
OpenAI and Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment on the legislation.
Meanwhile, Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organisation that advises parents on age-appropriate media, welcomed the law and described it as “the strongest kids’ AI safety bill in the country.”
The organisation’s chief executive, Jim Steyer, said AI companies offer chatbot features that can pose serious risks to children and teenagers, adding that the new legislation would prohibit such features in New York.
