Washington § 19.440.020 - Definitions. (Effective January 1, 2027.)

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1)(a) "AI companion chatbot" or "AI companion" means an artificial intelligence system with a natural language interface that provides adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs, including by exhibiting anthropomorphic features, and is able to sustain a relationship across multiple interactions.

(b) "AI companion chatbot" or "AI companion" does not include any of the following:

(i) A bot that is used only for a business' operational purposes, productivity and analysis related to source information, internal research, technical assistance, or customer service, if such bot does not sustain a relationship across multiple interactions and generate outputs that are likely to elicit emotional responses in the user;

(ii) A bot that is a feature of a video game or gaming system or application and is limited to replies related to the video game or gaming system or application that cannot discuss topics related to mental health, self-harm, or sexually explicit conduct, or maintain a dialogue on other topics unrelated to the video game or gaming system or application;

(iii) A stand-alone consumer electronic device that functions as a speaker and voice command interface, acts as a voice-activated virtual assistant, and does not sustain a relationship across multiple interactions or generate outputs that are likely to elicit emotional responses in the user; or

(iv) Narrowly tailored educational tools used in school or instructional settings that are designed solely to support specific, curriculum-aligned learning objectives and do not provide open-ended conversational companionship.

(2) "Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the use of machine learning and related technologies that use data to train statistical models for the purpose of enabling computer systems to perform tasks normally associated with human intelligence or perception, such as computer vision, speech or natural language processing, and content generation.

(3) "Minor" means any person under 18 years of age.

(4) "Operator" means any person, partnership, corporation, or entity that makes available or controls access to an AI companion chatbot for users in this state.

(5) "Self-harm" means intentional self-injury, with or without the intent to cause death.

(6) "User" means a natural person who interacts with an AI companion chatbot for personal use and who is not an operator, developer, or agent thereof.

Effective date—2026 c 168: See note following RCW 19.440.010.