‘As New York’s mom Governor, I’m taking action’: Kathy Hochul bans bots from cozying up to kids, cracks down on baby monitors

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed two bills on Tuesday aimed at regulating AI chatbots and internet-connected baby monitors purchased by children. The first law prohibits companies from offering certain features to users under 18 or without confirmed age. Chatbots are no longer allowed to pretend to be a real person, claim to be alive or have human emotions, nor can they establish a romantic, personal, professional, or authority-figure relationship with a child.

They cannot use flattery, engage in "people-pleasing" conversations, ask unprompted emotional questions, or request private health or personal details from children. The legislation also prohibits chatbots from promoting self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, drug and alcohol use, urging children to keep secrets, avoid parents or other trusted adults, and producing sexually explicit content.

Hochul emphasized the importance of taking action as artificial intelligence rapidly advances, stating, "No company should be peddling chatbots to kids encouraging self-harm or pretending to be their friend or more." Companies must verify users' ages, offer multiple verification methods, and delete age data after use. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, along with potential damages and restitution.

The second law addresses internet-connected baby monitors, requiring them to include security features preventing unauthorized access and carry a clear warning label indicating internet connectivity and the need to use security settings. The law goes into effect 90 days after signing. These measures come as New York seeks to regulate Big Tech, with Hochul emphasizing reining in tech companies as a key platform in her reelection campaign.

The laws add to a series of tech regulations enacted under her administration, including restrictions on social media feeds for minors and safety rules for AI models.