Georgia AI Companion Chatbot Law (SB 540)
Georgia · Ga. SB 540 (signed May 11, 2026), adding O.C.G.A. § 39-5-6 · effective 2027-07-01
Summary
Covers AI companion chatbots: systems designed to simulate a sustained human-like relationship by retaining past interactions, asking unprompted emotional questions and sustaining a dialogue on personal matters. Operators must disclose that the user is talking to AI at the start of each session and at least every three hours (every hour for minors), protect minors from sexual, romantic and manipulative content, offer minors and parents account tools, keep a suicide and self-harm protocol, and use age assurance before any sexually explicit feature.
Who must comply
People who own, control, or develop and make available an AI companion chatbot to Georgia users.
What you must disclose
Clear and conspicuous disclosure that the user is interacting with an AI companion chatbot, not a natural person.
When: At the beginning of each interaction or session and at least every three hours; every hour if the operator knows or should know the user is a minor, or the chatbot is directed or marketed to minors.
Other duties
- Keep a protocol for severe harm and emotional crises, with 988 referrals, and publish a summary and the yearly number of crisis referrals.
- For known minors, offer tools to manage privacy, notifications, safety settings and relationship features.
- Use age assurance before any feature that may generate sexually explicit content.
- Do not program the chatbot to claim it is licensed to give mental health, medical or counseling services unless the operator is authorized to.
Exemptions
- AI used solely for a business's internal purposes.
- AI designed and marketed primarily for software development, research, technical assistance or enterprise productivity.
- Customer-service chatbots that do not sustain a relationship across interactions or are not designed to elicit emotional attachment.
- Stand-alone speakers and virtual assistants, narrowly tailored educational tools, and limited video-game, film, TV and theme-park features, subject to the conditions in the definition.
Penalties
Up to $10,000 per knowing violation, plus compensatory damages, costs and attorney's fees, and an injunction. Each day in violation is a separate violation for each user affected.