Georgia AI Companion Chatbot Act (SB 540)
The first chatbot law enacted by a Republican-led state in 2026, and the strictest on scope: it has no platform carve-out, so assistants embedded in large services must comply on the same terms as standalone companion apps.
Key dates
- May 11, 2026Signed by Governor Kemp
- Jul 1, 2027Takes effect
Risk areas addressed
Who it applies to
Operators of AI companion chatbots available to Georgia users. Unusually, the Act carries no carve-out for chatbots embedded inside a larger platform, so general-purpose assistants are covered on the same terms as standalone companion apps.
Penalties & enforcement
Civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, enforced by the Attorney General.
Enforced by: Georgia Attorney General
Georgia SB 540 is enforced by Georgia Attorney General. The next dated milestone falls on Jul 1, 2027, 258 days away: Takes effect. In practice that means knowing which of your AI systems fall in scope in consumer services, online platforms and generative AI, holding assessments that speak to transparency, safety & robustness and consumer protection, and being able to produce that evidence on request.