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AI Companion Robot News, October 2026

Lawmakers in California, the EU, China and the UK are setting rules for AI companions while researchers track how apps handle chat data. Here is what changed and what to ask before buying.

Rules for AI companions are arriving fast.

16 chatbot bills signed into US state law in 2026, of about 100 proposed (Virginia JCOTS, AI Chatbots: Companionship & Minors, 2026)
4% of US adults say they use AI chatbots for companionship (Pew Research Center, Americans and AI 2026, 2026)
19 of 27 companion apps with privacy policies say they collect users' chats (University of Washington (arXiv), 2026)
£18M maximum UK fine for age-check failures, or 10% of revenue if higher (Ofcom, 2026)

California signs Adam's Law, adding audits for companion chatbots used by minors

2026-09-10 · Policy

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1119, which requires companion chatbot operators to complete and document an annual child safety risk assessment, submit to independent audits and restrict advertising to children and the sale or sharing of their data. The requirements take effect July 1, 2027.

Why it matters: Rules written for minors often reshape how a whole service works. Adults choosing an AI companion can ask whether the maker publishes audits, how it checks age and whether it sells or shares conversation data.

Source: Common Sense Media

University of Washington review finds most companion apps collect chat data

2026-08-21 · Research

University of Washington researchers studied a stratified sample of 30 AI companion apps from the Apple and Google stores. Of 27 apps with privacy policies, 19 said they collect users' interactions with companions, and 9 said user content would be used to train AI models.

Why it matters: Anything said to a companion may be stored and reused. Before buying a connected companion robot, ask whether conversations are kept, whether they train AI models and how to delete them permanently.

Source: arXiv (University of Washington)

EU issues guidance as AI Act transparency duties begin in August

2026-07-20 · Standards

The European Commission published guidelines on the transparency obligations in Article 50 of the AI Act, which apply from August 2, 2026. The guidance covers AI systems that pose transparency risks and aims to help authorities, providers and deployers apply the rules in a consistent, proportionate and uniform way.

Why it matters: Transparency rules for conversational AI now apply in the EU. Buyers anywhere can ask a seller how its companion discloses that it is AI and how it labels AI-generated voice or images.

Source: European Commission

China's AI companion rules take effect with usage reminders and data limits

2026-07-15 · Policy

Rules drawn up by the Cyberspace Administration of China and four other government bodies now cover AI companion services. Platforms must issue reminders after more than two hours of continuous use, encrypt data, not share interaction data with third parties without consent, and let users copy or delete chat histories.

Why it matters: These rules set a clear benchmark for data control. Wherever you live, it is fair to ask a companion maker whether chat histories can be exported and erased, and who else ever receives them.

Source: Xinhua

Ofcom investigates an AI companion chatbot service over age checks

2026-01-15 · Policy

UK regulator Ofcom opened an investigation into Novi Ltd, which runs an AI character companion chatbot, over whether it uses highly effective age assurance to stop children reaching pornographic material. Breaches of the Online Safety Act can bring fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue.

Why it matters: Age verification is now a legal duty for adult AI services in the UK. Expect sellers to verify age, and ask how that verification data is stored, who handles it and when it is deleted.

Source: Ofcom

Privacy & Discretion — The questions to ask about data, connectivity, accounts and delivery before you buy.
Materials & Safety — Materials, cleaning, electrical safety and the checks that protect your health.
AI Companionship — Conversation, memory and personal data: the ethics of AI companions, considered calmly.
Legal Considerations — Import rules, local laws and consumer rights: why it pays to check the law where you live.
The Ethics Debate — The main academic arguments for and against sex robots, from public-health concerns to dignity and disability.
Cleaning, Storage and Care — Routine cleaning, drying, charging and storage for companion robots, with a product-safety focus.
Buying Safely Online — Spot fake shops, pay in ways that protect you, limit the data you share and plan returns before you order.
Relationships and Wellbeing — What research says about intimacy technology, loneliness, partners and healthy use, without hype or judgement.
What Research Says — An overview of peer-reviewed research on sex robots and public attitudes, and the big gaps that remain.
Latest updates — Lawmakers in California, the EU, China and the UK are setting rules for AI companions while researchers track how apps handle chat data. Here is what changed and what to ask before buying.
About us — What we cover, how we source every figure, and who publishes this site.

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