Tell users that an AI companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human, at the start and at least every three hours

Practical action

Show a prominent "you are talking to an AI, not a person" notice when each interaction starts and on a timer of three hours or less, and instruct and test the model so it never says or implies it is human, especially when asked directly.

Who does it apply to?

Actors

Provider / developerDeployer / user organisation

Sectors

Consumer products and retail

Use cases

Customer service and chatbots

Applies from: 1 January 2027

Which controls meet this duty?

Satisfies: the control, operated properly, does the work the duty asks for. Supports: it contributes but the duty needs more. Each control page lists every other duty it serves, so work done once can be counted once.

• satisfiesProcessProduct owner · at launch and on material change
  AI interaction and use disclosure notices

  Serves 23 recorded duties · evidence: AI interaction or use notice, Notice catalogue, Notice wording approval

  The notice at the start and at least every three hours that the user is talking to an AI.

• supportsTechnical measureAI security or safety lead · at launch and on material change
  Adversarial and red-team testing for generative AI

  Serves 12 recorded duties · evidence: Red-team exercise report, Red-team rules of engagement and scenario library, Adversarial findings tracker

  Adversarial testing that the chatbot cannot be led to claim it is human or contradict the notice.

Templates that cover this duty

Generated from the records. Free · no account · links emailed to your work address. This duty is cited in each file with its source reference and a link back here.

• AI Agent Registry and Permission Matrix

  Register · XLSX and DOCX · v7

• EU AI Act Article 50 Transparency Kit

  Kit · DOCX and XLSX · v47

• AI Companion Chatbot Safety Kit

  Kit · DOCX and XLSX · v1

• AI Model Card

  Kit · DOCX and XLSX · v5

All 7 templates that cover it →

What evidence would a reviewer expect?

Frequently asked questions

Cite this record

AIPolicyTracker (2026). “Tell users that an AI companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human, at the start and at least every three hours (Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225))” [AIPT-OBL-0123, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0123 (accessed 12 November 2026). Data licensed CC BY 4.0.

Permanent id AIPT-OBL-0123: it never changes or gets reused, and its address keeps working if this page moves.

Cite the official text alongside it: Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary, Washington State Legislature, https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/2225-S.SL.pdf.

@misc{aipolicytracker2026_tellusersthatanaicompani,
  author       = {{AIPolicyTracker}},
  title        = {{Tell users that an AI companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human, at the start and at least every three hours (Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225))}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-disclosure}},
  url          = {https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-disclosure},
  urldate      = {2026-11-12},
  note         = {Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Accessed 12 November 2026}
}

Change history

Similar obligations in other instruments

• Give consumers a Pre-use Notice before using automated decision-making technology for a significant decision — California CPPA automated decision-making rules, California (United States)
• Answer consumers' requests to access information about how automated decision-making technology was used about them — California CPPA automated decision-making rules, California (United States)
• Tell users at the start of an AI companion interaction, and at least every three hours, that they are not communicating with a human — New York AI companion safeguards, New York (United States)
• Where the user is known to be a minor or the chatbot is directed to minors, repeat the not-human notice at least every hour — Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225), Washington State (United States)
• Publish the self-harm protocol and the number of crisis referral notifications issued in the preceding calendar year — Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225), Washington State (United States)
• Disclose AI interaction and label synthetic content — EU AI Act, European Union
• Employers must inform workers and their representatives before using high-risk AI at work — EU AI Act, European Union
• Providers of generative AI must mark synthetic output as artificially generated in a machine-readable way — EU AI Act, European Union