ASSEMBLY SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4732

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 16, 2026

      The Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4732.

      As reported, this bill requires an operator of an artificial intelligence (AI) companion to provide clear and conspicuous notification to a user at the beginning of, and periodically throughout, any AI companion interaction that the user is not communicating with a human.  The notification is to be provided either verbally or in writing.  After the notification is provided at the beginning of the interaction, it is to be provided at least every three hours for continued AI companion interactions.

      The bill provides that an operator found in violation of the provisions of the bill is to be subject to a civil penalty of $15,000 for each violation.

      As used in this bill, “AI companion” means a system using generative artificial intelligence designed to simulate a sustained human or human-like relationship with a user by:  (1) retaining information from prior interactions, prior user sessions, or user preferences to personalize the interaction and facilitate ongoing engagement with the AI companion; (2) asking unprompted or unsolicited emotion-based questions that go beyond a direct response to a user prompt; and (3) sustaining an ongoing dialogue concerning matters personal to the user.  “Human or human-like relationships” include, but are not limited to, intimate, romantic, or platonic interactions or companionship, and simulations of intimate, romantic, or platonic interactions or companionship.