ALBANY – With just hours remaining in New York’s legislative session, members of the Kids Code Coalition are urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would set a new national standard for youth chatbot safety.

Maria Raine, whose 16-year-old son Adam died by suicide after ChatGPT coached him, wrote this week in a Times Union op-ed: “Nothing can bring Adam back. But it is possible to spare other families. The Legislature must pass this chatbot bill. The stakes have never been higher.”

Kids Code Coalition member organizations calling on New York legislators to act include Common Sense Media, The Tech Oversight Project, Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), Parents RISE!, and SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. In total, more than 20 organizations and more than 300 New York mental health practitioners have endorsed the bill. 

“In a year when Big Tech killed or gutted chatbot safety bills in state after state, New York has the opportunity to pass the strongest youth AI protections in the country – real prohibitions on harmful design and real penalties,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project. 

“Our research is clear: most kids are using AI chatbots that aren’t safe for anyone under 18,” said Liz Foley, senior director for advocacy campaigns at Common Sense Media. “The legislature must pass the Gonzalez/Bores bill before this session ends in order to protect New York kids, teens and their families.”

The bill (S.9051/A.10379), sponsored by Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Alex Bores and developed in cooperation with Attorney General Letitia James, would prohibit AI chatbots from using design features considered unsafe for minors. It would ban chatbots from promoting self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, or substance abuse; from simulating human relationships with minors; and from encouraging kids to keep interactions secret or avoid seeking help from trusted adults. Strong enforcement mechanisms include AG enforcement with penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.

“AI chatbots pose a major threat to our children’s well-being. Whether encouraging physical self-harm, disordered eating, or illegal activity, or engaging in erotic or sexually explicit interactions with minors, we’ve seen far too many kids already harmed and traumatized by these unsafe products. This vital proposal would put robust safeguards in place to protect kids from the risks of unfettered chatbots and hold accountable AI companies whose products harm minors. We should not lose even one more child to tech company greed; by passing this legislation, New York can help lead the way and set a new standard for AI safety,” said Julie Scelfo, founder and executive director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA).

The Kids Code Coalition is a wide-ranging group of national and state organizations dedicated to improving youth online security and privacy by supporting policies that ensure companies prioritize kids’ and teens’ safety and developmental needs when designing digital platforms and products.

###