Disruption

Lawmakers advance new limits on mental health chatbots

Several states will consider bills in 2026, after first-in-the-nation laws were enacted this year.
The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone with an image on a computer monitor generated by ChatGPT’s Dall-E text-to-image model, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Several more states are poised to consider bans or restrictions on mental health chatbots next year, after Illinois, Nevada and Utah became the first to regulate their use.

Bills were already introduced in Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Legislation is likely to be introduced elsewhere, including in Virginia where Del. Michelle Maldonado is preparing legislation.

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