In one paragraph
Rhode Island's AI companion law, effective January 1, 2027, applies to operators of AI companions: AI that simulates a sustained human-like relationship by remembering users, asking unprompted emotional questions and keeping up a personal dialogue. Operators must have a protocol for addressing possible suicidal ideation, self-harm or physical harm to others expressed by a user, with a referral to crisis services when detected, and must tell users at the start of an interaction and every three hours that they are not talking to a human. From July 1, 2027 operators file annual reports with the Attorney General, who enforces with penalties up to $15,000 a day. Signed June 22, 2026.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
If you offer an AI companion to Rhode Island users, from Jan. 1, 2027 you need a crisis-referral protocol, recurring not-human notices, and annual reports to the Attorney General from July 2027.
Key provisions
- New R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 6-63, Artificial Intelligence Companion Models
- AI companion: AI that simulates a sustained human or human-like relationship by retaining prior interactions and preferences, asking unprompted emotion-based questions and sustaining a personal dialogue; customer-service, productivity, research and internal business systems are excluded
- Operators must have a protocol for addressing possible suicidal ideation, self-harm or physical harm to others expressed by a user, and refer the user to crisis services such as a suicide hotline or crisis text line as soon as such an expression is detected
- A clear notice, verbal or written, that the user is not communicating with a human at the start of every interaction and at least every three hours in continuing interactions
- From July 1, 2027, operators file annual reports with the Attorney General on safety-protocol activations; the Attorney General publishes aggregated data
- Attorney General enforcement: investigations, lawsuits, injunctions and civil penalties up to $15,000 per day, directed to suicide prevention programs
- Identical to S 2195, which was also signed June 22, 2026
- Signed by the Governor June 22, 2026; effective January 1, 2027
Latest legislative action
Jun 22, 2026. Signed by Governor
Sponsors (showing 5 of 10)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Baginski | Primary |
| Carson | Primary |
| Cotter | Primary |
| Donovan | Primary |
| Kazarian | Primary |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error