AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS (Creates additional safety features for AI companion technology that include addressing suicidal ideation, potential physical harm or financial harm to others expressed by a user. It also requires notification the AI companion does not have human emotions.)

S2195

2026 -- S 2195
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS --
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS

Introduced By:
Senators Urso, Gu, DiPalma, Paolino, Zurier, Murray, and Appollonio

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Tech
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 6 of the General Laws entitled "COMMERCIAL LAW — GENERAL
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REGULATORY PROVISIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 63
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS
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6-63-1. Definitions.
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As used in this chapter:
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(1) "AI companion" means a system using artificial intelligence, generative artificial
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intelligence, and/or emotional recognition algorithms to simulate social human interaction, by
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retaining information on prior interactions and user preference, asking questions, providing advice,
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and engaging in simulated conversation on matters of personal well-being. "AI companion" shall
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not include any system used by a business entity solely intended to provide users with information
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about available commercial services or products, customer account information, or other
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information related to a user's customer, or potential customer relationship with such business
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entity.
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(2) "AI model" means a component of an information system that implements artificial
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intelligence technology and uses computational, statistical, or machine-learning techniques to
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produce outputs from a given set of inputs.
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(3) "Artificial intelligence", "artificial intelligence technology", or "AI" means a machine-

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based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions,
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recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments, and that uses machine-
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and human-based inputs to perceive real and virtual environments, abstract such perceptions into
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models through analysis in an automated manner, and use model inference to formulate options for
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information or action.
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(4) "Emotional recognition algorithms" means artificial intelligence that detects and
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interprets human emotional signals in text (using natural language processing and sentiment
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analysis), audio (using voice emotion AI), video (using facial movement analysis, gait analysis, or
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physiological signals), or a combination thereof.
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(5) "Generative artificial intelligence" means a class of AI models that are self-supervised
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and emulate the structure and characteristics of input data to generate derived synthetic content
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including, but not limited to, images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content.
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(6) "Operator" means any person, partnership, association, firm, or business entity, or any
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member, affiliate, subsidiary or beneficial owner of any partnership, association, firm, or business
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entity who operates or provides an AI companion.
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(7) "Person" means any natural person.
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(8) "User" means any person who uses an AI companion within the state and who is not an
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operator or agent or affiliate of the operator of the AI companion.
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6-63-2. Prohibitions and requirements.
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It shall be unlawful for any operator to operate or provide an AI companion to a user unless
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such AI companion contains a protocol for addressing:
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(1) Possible suicidal ideation or self-harm expressed by a user to the AI companion;
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(2) Possible physical harm to others expressed by a user to the AI companion; and
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(3) Possible financial harm to others expressed by the user to the AI companion that
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includes, but is not limited to, a notification to the user that refers them to crisis service providers
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such as a suicide hotline, crisis text line, or other appropriate crisis services.
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6-63-3. Notifications required.
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An operator shall provide a notification to a user at the beginning of any AI companion
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interaction and at least every three (3) hours for continuing AI companion interactions hereafter,
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which states either verbally or in bold and capitalized letters of at least sixteen (16) point type, the
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following:
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"THE AI COMPANION (OR NAME OF THE AI COMPANION) IS A COMPUTER
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PROGRAM AND NOT A HUMAN BEING. IT IS UNABLE TO FEEL HUMAN EMOTION".
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6-63-4. Enforcement.

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(a) Any person who was physically injured through self-harm or was physically or
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financially harmed by another because of a violation of §§ 6-63-2 and 6-63-3 may bring an action
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in the superior court for damages, equitable relief, and such other remedies as the court may deem
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appropriate.
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(b) The attorney general shall be empowered to investigate, sue, and seek injunctions
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against noncompliant AI companion providers including, but not limited to, the provisions of
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chapter 13.1 of title 6 (deceptive trade practices).
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6-63-5. Consultation.
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The Rhode Island artificial intelligence (AI) task force shall continue to advise the governor
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and the general assembly by assessing and promoting the development, implementation, and
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regulation of artificial intelligence technologies within Rhode Island by understanding AI's
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potential impact on various sectors, including business, education, healthcare, and government.
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6-63-6. Severability.
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If any provision of this chapter is declared unconstitutional or invalid, or the application of
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any provision of this chapter to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the constitutionality of
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the remainder of the chapter and its applicability to other persons and circumstances shall not be
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affected thereby.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS --
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS
***
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This act would create additional safety features for artificial intelligence (AI) companion
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technology including provisions addressing suicidal ideation, potential physical harm or financial
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harm to others expressed by a user. The act also requires notification that the AI companion does
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not have human emotions.
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This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
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