What happened
On 1 October 2026 Reps. Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Whitesides (D-CA), Kennedy (R-UT) and Matsui (D-CA) introduced the Protecting Kids from Human-Like Chatbots Act, prohibiting chatbots from communicating by default in human-like ways with minors — no claiming to be human, expressing simulated emotions, or using relationship-building/guilt-tripping language — with NIST to develop testing standards, enforcement by the FTC and state AGs, and parental override of default protections.
Why it matters
This is a concrete bipartisan federal bill targeting companion/psychological-dependency chatbot risks that is already drawing destructive design of minor-facing AI — aligning with California's SB 867/SB 1119 and the EU KIDS Act in a converging cross-jurisdictional clampdown on human-like AI companions for children.
Action needed
No immediate federal compliance step for most firms; chatbot developers should review default interaction design for personification of minors and NIST testing standards as they emerge.