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ARTICLE · 03 MARCH 2026

AI Chatbot Regulation: 78 State Bills, 58 Lawsuits

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State legislatures are regulating what AI chatbots say. Plaintiffs' lawyers are suing over what AI chatbots collect. Most compliance teams are only watching one front.

United StatesTechnology
Samir A. Bhavsar
Samir A. Bhavsar
Parker Hancock
Parker Hancock
Justin Bryant
Justin Bryant

State legislatures are regulating what AI chatbots say. Plaintiffs' lawyers are suing over what AI chatbots collect. Most compliance teams are only watching one front.

In the first weeks of 2026, 78 chatbot-related bills have been filed across 27 states.1 In the two months since California's companion chatbot law took effect on January 1, 2026, at least six additional states have advanced chatbot legislation past committee or through a full chamber.2 Meanwhile, an analysis of 284 deployer-facing AI litigation matters reveals that chatbot wiretap lawsuits (claims under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and state wiretap statutes) have grown from 2 matters in 2021 to 30 in 2025, making chatbot wiretap the fastest-growing category of deployer-facing AI litigation.3

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