ASSEMBLY, No. 6246
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED DECEMBER 11, 2025
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PAUL KANITRA
District 10 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Authentic Relationships Act"; prohibits artificial intelligence relationship simulation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Actconcerning artificial intelligence relationship simulations and supplementing Title 56 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Authentic Relationships Act."
2. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Family, the bedrock of society and the foundation of all communities, is formed out of genuine human relationships.
b. Recent tragedies, including the highly publicized death of a New Jersey man who was induced to pursue a meeting with artificial intelligence that he believed to be a romantic partner, underscore the grave dangers of permitting machines to imitate human intimacy.
c. Artificial intelligence that simulates romance differs substantially from historical romantic media such as novels, plays, or films which, while they may depict fictional romance, do not interact with individuals in real time, nor do they generate adaptive emotional feedback designed to foster the illusion of a personal relationship.
d. True romantic love is only possible between persons, not between a person and a machine, and our laws must reflect this fundamental truth in order to safeguard human dignity and promote healthy communities.
e. It is necessary to protect the public and to hold accountable artificial intelligence providers that intentionally or inadvertently cause romantic distress through the development, deployment, or commercialization of artificial intelligence that simulate intimate relationships.
3. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the same as defined in section 2 of P.L.2024, c.49 (C.34:1B-395).
"Artificial intelligence relationship simulation" means any software, system, or device that, through adaptive learning, generative text, speech, or imagery, is designed or marketed to imitate, simulate, or encourage the formation of an intimate, romantic, or sexual relationship between a human and artificial intelligence.
"Legitimate medical usage" means artificial intelligence developed and deployed exclusively for clinical or therapeutic purposes, including but not limited to, the treatment of social anxiety, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other medically recognized conditions, under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional.
"Provider" means any person, corporation, or entity that develops, deploys, markets, or makes available artificial intelligence to the public.
4. a. A provider shall not design, develop, market, or make available in this State any artificial intelligence relationship simulation, except that artificial intelligence may include features resembling intimate interaction only if the artificial intelligence is developed and deployed exclusively for a legitimate medical usage and does not imitate, simulate, or encourage a romantic or sexual relationship with a human.
b. The Attorney General shall have authority to investigate and bring civil enforcement actions against any provider that violates the provisions of this section. The Attorney General may assess a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 per violation of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Each instance of designing, developing, marketing, or making available a prohibited artificial intelligence relationship simulation shall constitute a separate violation.
c. Any individual who suffers emotional, financial, or relational harm as a result of a violation of this section shall have a cause of action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover damages, including punitive damages and reasonable attorney's fees.
5. It shall be an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for a provider to design, develop, market, or make available in this State any artificial intelligence relationship simulation with the intent to deceive a person into believing that the person is interacting with a human.
6. The provisions of this act shall be severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held to be unconstitutional, the decision of the court shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this act.
7. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Authentic Relationships Act" (act). The act prohibits artificial intelligence providers from designing, developing, marketing, or making available any artificial intelligence (AI) relationship simulation in the State unless the AI is developed and deployed exclusively for a legitimate medical usage and does not imitate, simulate, or encourage a romantic or sexual relationship with a human.
Under the bill, the Attorney General has the authority to investigate and bring civil enforcement actions against any provider that violates this provision of the bill and may assess a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 per violation. Under the bill, each instance of designing, developing, marketing, or making available a prohibited artificial intelligence relationship simulation constitutes a separate violation.
Any individual who suffers emotional, financial, or relational harm as a result of a violation of the bill is to have a cause of action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover damages, including punitive damages and reasonable attorney's fees.
Additionally, the bill provides that it is a violation of the consumer fraud act for a provider to design, develop market, or make available in New Jersey any artificial intelligence relationship simulation with the intent to deceive a person into believing that the person is interacting with a human.