AI Chatbot Laws Information only, not legal advice. Telep IO LLC is not a law firm. Checked against the enacted text of S. 3008-C / A. 3008-C, Part U, on Nov 4, 2026.
Where the law comes from
The duties were added by Part U of the 2025 transportation, economic development and environmental conservation budget bill, S. 3008-C / A. 3008-C, which was signed as Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2025 on May 9, 2025. Part U adds Article 47, "Artificial Intelligence Companion Models," to the New York General Business Law (sections 1700 to 1704) and creates a suicide prevention fund in State Finance Law section 99-ss. Section 3 of Part U says the act takes effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it became law, which is November 5, 2025.
What counts as an AI companion
Section 1700(4) defines an AI companion as a system using artificial intelligence, generative AI, or emotional recognition algorithms that is designed to simulate a sustained human or human-like relationship with a user by doing all three of these things:
- retaining information about prior interactions or sessions and user preferences to personalize the interaction and encourage ongoing engagement;
- asking unprompted or unsolicited emotion based questions that go beyond a direct response to a user prompt; and
- sustaining an ongoing dialogue about matters personal to the user.
The statute says human relationships include intimate, romantic or platonic interactions or companionship. It excludes three kinds of system: those a business uses solely for customer service or to give information about its own products, services or account details; those primarily designed and marketed for efficiency improvements, research or technical assistance; and those a business uses solely for internal purposes or employee productivity (section 1700(4)(c)).
Who has to comply
An operator is any person, partnership, association, firm or business entity, or a member, affiliate, subsidiary or beneficial owner of one, who operates for or provides an AI companion to a user (section 1700(5)). A user is a person who uses an AI companion for personal use within the state and who is not the operator or an agent or affiliate of the operator (section 1700(8)).
The two duties
1. Crisis protocol (section 1701)
It is unlawful to operate or provide an AI companion unless it contains a protocol to take reasonable efforts to detect and address suicidal ideation or expressions of self-harm. The protocol must include, at minimum, detection of those expressions and a notification to the user that refers them to crisis service providers, such as the 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline, a crisis text line, or other appropriate crisis services. The statute defines self-harm as intentional self-injury with or without the intent to cause death (section 1700(9)).
2. Not human notification (section 1702)
An operator must give a clear and conspicuous notification, verbally or in writing, that the user is not communicating with a human. It must appear at the beginning of any AI companion interaction, which need not exceed once per day, and at least every three hours for continuing interactions.
Enforcement and penalties
Under section 1703 the Attorney General may sue to enjoin an operator, may seek civil penalties of up to $15,000 per day for a violation of section 1701 or 1702, and may seek other remedies the court considers appropriate. All fees, fines and penalties go to the suicide prevention fund. The text of Article 47 does not create a private right of action; enforcement language names only the Attorney General.
A short developer checklist
- Decide, in writing, whether your product meets all three parts of the AI companion definition, and keep that analysis with your records.
- Detect expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm and show a referral to 988, a crisis text line or other appropriate crisis services when detected.
- Show a clear and conspicuous "not a human" notice at the start of each AI companion interaction, at least once a day.
- Repeat the notice at least every three hours during a continuing interaction.
- Keep logs that show when each notice and each crisis referral was shown.
Newer New York laws that start in 2027
Article 47 is not the only New York law in this area. Two newer laws start on January 1, 2027: Part Y of Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2026 (age assurance and default settings for covered platforms used by minors) and Chapter 368 of the Laws of 2026 (S. 9051-B / A. 10379-C, General Business Law sections 1800 to 1805, signed October 28, 2026). Both are summarized with official links in the state law tracker.
Check every state at once
The state law tracker lists each chatbot law we follow with official links. The State by State Chatbot Compliance Checklist is a 9 page PDF with action boxes for every law, a key dates table and an evidence log. $29, one time.