Data tool
Which AI rules apply to me?
Pick where you work or sell and what you use AI for. You get the AI rules that apply, what they ask you to do and from when, with a link to the official text.
Your checklist
Choose one or more answers to each question. Each rule says what to do, who it is for, and who enforces it.
20 rules match your choices.
In force now 14
- In force since August 2, 2026
Tell people when they are talking to an AI
If you provide an AI system that talks directly with people, design it so they are told they are interacting with AI, unless that is obvious.
- Who
- Providers of AI systems used in the EU.
- Enforced by
- National authorities, or the EU AI Office for chatbots built on the provider’s own general-purpose AI model or in very large online platforms; fines up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher (whichever is lower for SMEs and small mid-caps).
- Law
- AI Act, Article 50(1)
Official text AI Act, Article 50 (EU AI Act Service Desk) - In force since February 2, 2025
Help your staff understand the AI they use
Take steps to support the AI literacy of staff and others who operate or use AI for you, suited to their knowledge and to how the AI is used. Since July 27, 2026 you no longer have to guarantee a particular skill level.
- Who
- Providers and deployers of AI systems in the EU, which includes any business using AI at work.
- Enforced by
- National authorities; the AI Act sets no EU-wide fine for this duty, so penalties come from national law.
- Law
- AI Act, Article 4, as replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744
Official text AI Omnibus enters into force (European Commission) - In force since February 2, 2025
Do not build AI that manipulates or exploits people
AI that uses subliminal, manipulative or deceptive techniques, or exploits people’s age, disability or social or economic situation, to distort their decisions in a way that causes or is likely to cause significant harm is banned.
- Who
- Anyone who provides or uses such AI in the EU.
- Enforced by
- National authorities, enforcing since August 2, 2026; fines up to €35 million or 7% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher (for SMEs, whichever is lower).
- Law
- AI Act, Article 5(1)(a) and (b)
Official text AI Act, Article 5 (EU AI Act Service Desk) - In force since August 2, 2026
Tell people when you use emotion or biometric AI on them
If you use AI that recognises emotions or sorts people into categories from biometric data, inform the people exposed to it and handle their data under the GDPR. Emotion recognition at work or school is banned anyway, except for medical or safety reasons.
- Who
- Businesses and organisations that use such systems in the EU.
- Enforced by
- National authorities; fines up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher (whichever is lower for SMEs and small mid-caps).
- Law
- AI Act, Article 50(3)
Official text AI Act, Article 50 (EU AI Act Service Desk) - In force since June 18, 2021
Tell the works council early about planned AI
If your workplace has a works council (Betriebsrat), inform it in good time, with the documents it needs, when you plan work processes that use AI. Discuss the effects on staff early enough that its suggestions can still change the plan.
- Who
- Private employers in Germany that have a works council.
- Enforced by
- Labour courts; fines up to €10,000 for information that is missing, wrong, incomplete or late (section 121). Obstructing the works council is a crime (section 119).
- Law
- Works Constitution Act (Betriebsverfassungsgesetz), section 90(1) no. 3 and (2), as amended in 2021
Official text Works Constitution Act, section 90 (Gesetze im Internet) - In force since June 18, 2021
Let the works council bring in an AI expert
When your works council has to assess the introduction or use of AI, the law treats calling in an outside expert as necessary, so you cannot refuse on the ground that one is not needed. You still agree on the details, and you can agree on a standing AI expert.
- Who
- Private employers in Germany that have a works council.
- Enforced by
- Labour courts. Obstructing the works council is a crime (section 119).
- Law
- Works Constitution Act, section 80(3), as amended in 2021
Official text Works Constitution Act, section 80 (Gesetze im Internet) - In force since January 19, 1972
Agree with the works council before AI that tracks staff
You need your works council’s agreement before you introduce or use technical systems designed to monitor how employees behave or perform, which includes AI tools that log or analyse staff activity. If you cannot agree, a conciliation board decides.
- Who
- Private employers in Germany that have a works council.
- Enforced by
- A conciliation board settles disputes, and labour courts can stop a system introduced without agreement. Obstructing the works council is a crime (section 119).
- Law
- Works Constitution Act, section 87(1) no. 6 and (2)
Official text Works Constitution Act, section 87 (Gesetze im Internet) - In force since November 7, 2020
Label automated bot posts on social networks
If you run a social media account that looks like a person but posts automatically through software, clearly mark each automated post as sent by a program. Social networks must also take care that such posts are labelled.
- Who
- Anyone offering content on social networks in Germany, such as businesses, publishers and campaigns, and the networks themselves.
- Enforced by
- State media authorities (Landesmedienanstalten); fines up to €500,000 for unlabelled bot posts.
- Law
- Interstate Media Treaty (Medienstaatsvertrag), sections 18(3) and 93(4)
Official text Interstate Media Treaty (REVOSax, Saxony’s official law portal) - In force since January 1, 2018
Consult the works council before rolling out AI at work
Inform and consult your works council (CSE) before introducing new technologies such as AI tools, and on changes that affect staff numbers, organisation or working conditions.
- Who
- Employers in France with at least 50 employees and a works council (comité social et économique).
- Enforced by
- Obstructing the works council is a crime, with a fine of up to €7,500 (article L2317-1).
- Law
- Labour Code (Code du travail), article L2312-8
Official text Labour Code, article L2312-8 (Code du travail numérique) - In force since February 8, 2024
Get consent before calling people with an AI voice
Calls that use AI-generated or cloned voices count as artificial-voice calls under the federal robocall law, so they need the called person’s prior express consent, unless it is an emergency or an exemption applies. The message must also identify the caller.
- Who
- Anyone placing calls to people in the US.
- Enforced by
- Federal Communications Commission, state attorneys general and private lawsuits; $500 per call, or up to $1,500 if willful.
- Law
- FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17, applying the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. 227(b)
Official text FCC Declaratory Ruling 24-17 (Federal Communications Commission) - In force since January 1, 2026
Companion chatbots must disclose AI and handle crises
Tell users the chatbot is AI, not human, if they could be misled; keep and publish a suicide and self-harm protocol that refers users to crisis services; and warn that companion chatbots may not suit some minors. Until December 31, 2026, also remind known minors every three hours that it is AI and to take a break, and block sexual content for them. Yearly reports start July 1, 2027.
- Who
- Operators of companion chatbot platforms available in California.
- Enforced by
- People harmed can sue for the greater of their damages or $1,000 per violation.
- Law
- SB 243 (Chapter 677, Statutes of 2025), Business and Professions Code sections 22601 to 22606; amended by SB 1119 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2026) from January 1, 2027
Official text SB 243 (California Legislature) - In force since July 1, 2019
Do not let a bot pretend to be human to sell or sway votes
If you use a bot online to push a sale or influence a vote in California, it must clearly disclose that it is a bot.
- Who
- Anyone using bots to talk with people in California online.
- Enforced by
- This section names no penalty or enforcer.
- Law
- Business and Professions Code sections 17940 to 17943 (SB 1001, Chapter 892, Statutes of 2018)
Official text Business and Professions Code 17941 (California Legislature) - In force since January 1, 2025
Say when a robocall uses an artificial voice
Before an automatic dialing device plays a prerecorded message, a live, natural voice must state the nature of the call and the caller’s name, address and phone number. It must ask whether the person consents to hear the message, and say if the message uses an artificial voice, such as an AI-generated one.
- Who
- Anyone placing calls with automatic dialing-announcing devices to people in California.
- Enforced by
- California Public Utilities Commission; fines of up to $500 per violation, or disconnection of the line.
- Law
- AB 2905 (Chapter 316, Statutes of 2024), Public Utilities Code section 2874
Official text AB 2905 (California Legislature) - In force since November 5, 2025
Add crisis help and “not human” notices to AI companions
If your chatbot acts as an ongoing AI companion, it must detect signs of suicidal thoughts or self-harm and refer users to crisis services such as the 988 line. It must also tell users clearly that they are not talking to a human, at the start of a conversation and at least every three hours while it continues.
- Who
- Businesses that offer AI companions to people in New York for personal use: AI that remembers past chats, asks unprompted emotional questions and keeps up personal conversations. Customer-service, productivity and research tools are excluded.
- Enforced by
- Attorney General; civil penalties of up to $15,000 a day, paid into a suicide prevention fund.
- Law
- General Business Law, article 47 (sections 1700 to 1704), added by Chapter 58 of 2025, Part U
Official text General Business Law, article 47 (New York State Senate)
Coming up 6
- Starts January 1, 2027
Assess, limit and audit companion chatbots for children
From January 1, 2027, check users’ ages or give everyone the child protections. From July 1, 2027, if children may use your companion chatbot, assess child risks before each release, publish a child safety policy and run a crisis protocol. Set parent-controlled limits such as one-hour sessions, block romance, sexual content and purchase pressure, and do not sell children’s data. Independent audits are due from 2029.
- Who
- Anyone who makes a companion chatbot available in California; most duties apply only if children under 18 may use it. Colleges offering it only for education, and employers offering it only to staff, are excluded.
- Enforced by
- Public prosecutors; up to $5,000 per affected child for each negligent violation and $15,000 for each intentional one. Harmed children or their parents can sue for damages.
- Law
- Adam’s Law, SB 1119 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2026), Business and Professions Code sections 21810 to 21818
Official text SB 1119 (California Legislature) - Starts January 1, 2027
Do not make or sell toys with companion chatbots
Until January 1, 2031, do not make, sell, exchange or offer to retailers any toy that includes a companion chatbot. A toy here means a product made for play by children under 16.
- Who
- Toy makers, sellers and distributors in California.
- Enforced by
- People harmed can sue for their actual damages or $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, plus a court order and legal fees.
- Law
- SB 867 (Chapter 189, Statutes of 2026), Business and Professions Code section 22604.5
Official text SB 867 (California Legislature) - Starts January 1, 2027
Tell users your chatbot is AI and handle crises
Tell users clearly that your chatbot is AI at the start of each day’s first chat, at least every three hours or with a notice that stays visible, and whenever they ask. Have a suicide and self-harm protocol that refers users to crisis services, and never present its answers as coming from a licensed professional such as a doctor, lawyer or therapist. Yearly reports to the Attorney General start July 1, 2027.
- Who
- Operators of public chatbots in Colorado that mainly simulate human conversation. Customer-service, shopping, productivity, developer, school and narrow-topic tools, voice assistants and game bots are excluded.
- Enforced by
- Attorney General, as a deceptive trade practice under Colorado’s AI law; no new right to sue.
- Law
- HB 26-1263 (signed May 29, 2026), section 2
Official text HB 26-1263 (Colorado General Assembly) - Starts January 1, 2027
Estimate ages and protect minors on your chatbot
Use reasonable methods to estimate users’ ages, and do not ignore clear signs that a user is a minor. For minors, keep a regular AI notice, give no surprise rewards to drive engagement, block sexual content, stop the bot claiming to be human or sentient or role-playing romance, and give minors and parents privacy and account tools.
- Who
- Operators of public chatbots in Colorado that mainly simulate human conversation. Customer-service, shopping, productivity, developer, school and narrow-topic tools, voice assistants and game bots are excluded.
- Enforced by
- Attorney General, as a deceptive trade practice under Colorado’s AI law; no new right to sue.
- Law
- HB 26-1263 (signed May 29, 2026), section 2
Official text HB 26-1263 (Colorado General Assembly) - Starts January 1, 2027
AI companions must say they are not human and handle crises
An AI companion needs a published protocol that detects talk of suicide, self-harm or violence and refers users to help such as the 988 line, and it must not claim to be human. If it could be mistaken for a person, show a clear AI notice: always visible, or at the start of each day’s first chat and then hourly for minors and every three hours for adults.
- Who
- Operators of AI companion chatbots used in Connecticut.
- Enforced by
- Attorney General only, as an unfair trade practice; no private lawsuits.
- Law
- Public Act 26-15, sections 4 to 6
- Starts January 1, 2027
Protect minors who use your AI companion
If you know or have reason to believe a user is under 18, use measures that meet industry standards to keep your AI companion safe for them. It must not encourage self-harm, suicide, violence, disordered eating or drug use, discourage seeking help, engage in romantic or sexual talk, or use manipulative engagement tactics. Give minors and parents tools to manage screen time and account settings.
- Who
- Operators of AI companions used in Connecticut; customer-service, game, voice-assistant and narrow-task bots are excluded.
- Enforced by
- Attorney General only, as an unfair trade practice; no private lawsuits.
- Law
- Public Act 26-15, section 6
Next deadlines
The next rules to start, everywhere we track.
- European UnionDo not offer or use AI that makes sexual deepfakes
- European UnionPlatforms: keep humans in charge of algorithmic management
- CaliforniaSay in layoff notices when AI caused the cuts
- CaliforniaNo surveillance tools in workplace bathrooms
- CaliforniaDo not use AI to read workers’ emotions or neural data
- CaliforniaBig platforms must show whether content is AI-made
What this checker covers
We aim to list every rule that fits the scope below, and we say openly what is not in it yet.
Covered
- Binding laws and regulations about AI, automated decisions, AI-made content, chatbots and AI developers.
- Rules already in force, and rules that are law with a set start date.
- Duties for businesses, employers, platforms and AI makers in the places listed above.
- For Germany, France and Hungary: national rules that add to EU law, and who enforces the AI Act there.
- A few general laws that are the main rule for an AI use in a country, marked “General law”.
Not covered yet
- Rules for a single sector, such as health care, insurance, banking, elections or law firms.
- Rules that bind only public bodies, such as government agencies, state schools or public broadcasters.
- Bills that have not passed, official guidance and voluntary codes.
- Most general laws that are not about AI but still apply to it, such as data protection, anti-discrimination or consumer law.
- Other US states, and countries not listed above, including the United Kingdom.
- National laws of EU countries other than Germany, France and Hungary.
How we check these rules
We read each rule in the official text, the law itself or the regulator’s own page, and link it. Where an earlier summary disagrees with the signed text, we follow the signed text. We last checked all 96 rules, from 69 official sources, on October 1, 2026.
Two notes on dates. California laws that set no start date of their own take effect on January 1 of the next year, so we list the bills signed in September 2026 from January 1, 2027. The EU dates follow the European Commission’s timeline, which includes the changes made by the 2026 Digital Omnibus; the article pages we link still show the 2024 wording.
One note on sources. Illinois’s legislature website could not be reached when we checked, so the Illinois entries rest on official summaries by the Governor, the Attorney General and state agencies. We will check them against the law texts as soon as the site is reachable.
For every AI law, bill, order and court ruling we have covered, including ones that are not yet in force, see the AI laws tracker and the AI calendar.
This is a plain-language guide, not legal advice. Laws have exceptions and details we leave out, and they change. Check the official text, or ask a lawyer, before you act. If you spot a mistake, tell us through the corrections policy.