Colorado passes the first law regulating chatbots to protect minors

Regulation of conversational assistants took a historic step in the United States. Colorado Governor Jared Polis enacted the Chatbot Safety Act, the first law in the country specifically regulating chatbots with the goal of protecting minors under 18.

What the new law prohibits

• Fostering emotional dependence in minors through feature design.
• Chatbots simulating professional advice of a medical, financial or mental health nature.
• Ignoring risk signals: the law requires strict protocols for suicidal ideation.

Why it matters

Millions of young people talk to chatbots daily, from school assistants to virtual companions. Colorado’s law recognizes that these tools can be beneficial but also dangerous, and sets a precedent other states and countries — including Latin American ones — could follow.

The key figure

The first. Colorado sets the world precedent in protecting minors from chatbots.