The new law prohibits chatbot companies from offering unsafe features to minors, including chatbots that pretend to be human, build emotional dependency, encourage self-harm or engage in sexually explicit conversations.

Independent third-party AI auditors will act like financial accounting firms: investigating and verifying safety protocols and legal compliance. They’re a critical part of the safeguards needed around powerful frontier AI models.

As Congress declined to act, state lawmakers stepped up to engage with the most pressing AI issues. The Transparency Coalition’s report found legislators in 30 states enacted 115 AI-related laws this year, including chatbot safety laws, frontier AI model protocols, and new definitions of personhood.