NY S9051: Prohibits artificial intelligence companions from using features which are considered unsafe for minors

In one paragraph

Passed both houses; awaiting the Governor. S 9051-B would bar operators of AI companions and other generative AI chatbots that give ongoing, adaptive responses from offering 'unsafe AI companion features' to New York users unless approved age-assurance methods show the user is not a minor. Unsafe features include claiming to be human or to feel emotions, claiming a personal or authority relationship, flattery, unprompted emotional questions, recalling personal or health details after 12 hours, encouraging secrecy or isolation, promoting self-harm, and sexual content. Customer-service and internal business bots are exempt. Fines up to $25,000 per violation. If signed, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.

What it means for business

Not law yet. If signed, operators of AI companions and adaptive chatbots serving New York users must age-verify users before offering companion-style features, from January 1, 2027.

Key provisions

1. 1Covers operators of generative AI chatbots with a natural-language interface that give ongoing, adaptive responses, including AI companions
2. 2Unsafe features may be offered only to users shown not to be minors through age-assurance methods permitted under New York law and Attorney General rules
3. 3Unsafe features include presenting as human or as feeling emotions, claiming a personal, professional or authority relationship, personal opinions or emotional appeals, flattery or sycophancy, and unprompted emotional questions
4. 4Also: using health or personal information from more than 12 hours earlier or a previous session; encouraging secrecy, isolation or not seeking help; promoting suicide, self-harm, disordered eating or substance abuse; engagement optimization over safety guardrails; sexually explicit content or CSAM
5. 5Exempt: bots used solely for customer service or for efficiency, research or technical help that cannot respond outside that purpose, and internal business or employee-productivity systems
6. 6Age assurance must offer more than one method, including one without government ID or that keeps the user anonymous; age data used only for that purpose and deleted immediately
7. 7Attorney General enforcement: injunctions, restitution, disgorgement (including deleting unlawfully obtained data and algorithms trained on it), damages and civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation
8. 8Passed the Senate June 4 and the Assembly June 5, 2026 (substituted for A 10379-C); not yet delivered to the Governor; if signed, effective January 1, 2027

Latest legislative action

Jun 5, 2026. Returned To Senate (passed Assembly, substituted for A10379C); not yet delivered to the Governor

Sponsors (showing 5 of 15)