Rhode Island bans AI therapy and forces chatbots to catch users in crisis

As chatbots quietly slide into the role of confidant and counselor, states are deciding that emotional AI is a safety issue, not just a product feature. Rhode Island is small, but it joins a growing list of states writing rules specifically for AI that talks to vulnerable people. The direction is clear: the companies building companion and therapy bots are about to inherit the same duty of care that licensed humans already carry.