# 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.

_Section: [Daily AI Updates](https://www.wortins.com/daily-ai) · Source: Transparency Coalition · Published Sunday, July 5, 2026_

## Wortins' read

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.

## Source

[Read the full story at Transparency Coalition](https://www.transparencycoalition.ai/news/rhode-island-enacts-four-new-ai-laws-including-a-therapy-chatbot-ban)

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