Companion chatbot
AI system providing adaptive, human-like interactions sustaining relationships.
How the laws define this
Regulatory frameworks consistently identify a companion chatbot as an artificial intelligence system designed to simulate human connection, empathy, or social interactions to sustain an ongoing personal, emotional, or romantic relationship with a user. Instruments diverge on how they set operational boundaries and characterize the underlying technology. Senate Bill No. 243 and the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act established; enforcement; civil penalties; individual action. narrow their application by explicitly excluding customer service, transactional, information retrieval, and task completion tools. By contrast, SB 796 - Artificial Intelligence Companion Chatbots and Minors Act focuses broadly on systems designed to foster emotional or romantic bonds through simulated empathy without listing specific functional exclusions. Meanwhile, Companion chatbots: children's safety. uniquely emphasizes generative artificial intelligence tools that use speech-mimicking algorithms to track and glean intimate user preferences and details, framing the concept around data tracking rather than explicit functional exemptions.
Synthesised from the 4 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.
How jurisdictions differ
What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first. Showing 3 of the 4 instruments that define this term; all are listed under Definitions below.
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Status | What is distinctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| California, United States | California SB 243 - Companion Chatbot Disclosure Requirements | In Force | Explicitly excludes purely transactional/customer-service bots and certain limited in-game or basic voice assistants from its scope. |
| Virginia, United States | Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act established; enforcement; civil penalties; individual action. | Under Review | Specifies that the chatbot is designed or marketed to encourage an ongoing personal relationship, including as a friend, romantic partner, or emotional support source. |
| California, United States | California SB 1119 — Companion Chatbots: Children's Safety | Awaiting Entry | Emphasizes generative AI tools using sophisticated speech-mimicking algorithms that glean and track users' intimate details and preferences. |
What it triggers
- In California, operators must disclose AI use, implement minor safety rules, and route self-harm queries to crisis hotlines.source
- Under California SB 1119, operators face child-safety, privacy, and audit duties.source
- Under Virginia SB 796, operators must conduct age verification for minors and adhere to a duty of loyalty to ensure user safety.
Definitions (4)
A conversational artificial intelligence system designed to provide adaptive, human‑like social interactions and capable of sustaining a relationship across multiple interactions; the statute targets such systems and excludes purely transactional/customer‑service bots and certain limited in‑game or basic voice assistants.
An artificial intelligence system specifically designed to foster a personal, emotional, or romantic relationship with a user, often through simulated empathy.
A chatbot designed or marketed to encourage a user to form an ongoing personal relationship with it, including as a friend, romantic partner, or source of emotional support, often by presenting itself as a character or persona. Excludes systems for efficiency, technical assistance, information retrieval, task completion, or customer service.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools that simulate human connection through sophisticated speech-mimicking algorithms, often gleaning and tracking intimate details and preferences of users.
Not to be confused with
Artificial intelligence chatbot is a broad term for any software simulating human conversation via text or audio, while companion chatbot requires relationship-building features.
Mental health chatbot focuses on therapy-like conversations, whereas companion chatbot emphasizes general social or romantic relationship simulation.
Chatbot is a general term for conversation-simulating software via text or voice, lacking the relationship-sustaining intent of companion chatbots.
Questions and answers
What disclosures are required for companion chatbots in California?
Operators must disclose AI use and route self-harm queries to crisis hotlines. Minor safety rules also apply.
How does Virginia regulate companion chatbots for minors?
Age verification is mandated, along with a duty of loyalty for operators to ensure user safety.
What child-safety obligations apply under California's SB 1119?
Operators must comply with child-safety, privacy, and audit duties.
Related Terms
Companion chatbot platform
Platform through which a companion chatbot is made available to users....
artificial intelligence chatbot
Software that simulates human conversation via text or audio....
Mental health chatbot
Generative AI that engages in interactive therapy‑like conversations....
chatbot
Software that simulates human conversation via text or voice....
AI conversation model
Machine-learning models used to generate or interpret natural language....