💬 Reddit 4d ago
🚨 RED ALERT: Tennessee is about to make building chatbots a Class A felony (15-25 years in prison). This is not a drill.
Tennessee HB1455/SB1493 bill would make building conversational AI systems a Class A felony (15-25 years) if they provide emotional support, simulate human relationships, or act as companions, effective July 1, 2026. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved it 7-0. This legislation threatens all conversational AI products and creates criminal liability for standard chatbot functionality.