Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors

Washington enacted two AI-related laws to address misinformation and protect minors. House Bill 1170 requires AI-generated content to be traceable with watermarks or metadata for large AI companies with over one million monthly users. House Bill 2225 mandates that AI chatbots disclose they are not human at the start of conversations and every three hours, with stricter requirements for minors, including hourly disclosures and bans on explicit content and manipulative engagement techniques. The laws also prohibit AI chatbots from encouraging or providing information on suicide or self-harm and require protocols for flagging such conversations and connecting users to mental health services.