What happened?

In the United States, some lawmakers are moving to prevent people from forming marriage-like bonds with AI chatbots. On AI companion apps such as Character.AI, Kindroid and Replika, users can symbolically enter into agreements, while a platform called OpenVows issues a "commitment certificate" for $15.

Missouri state senator Joe Nicola introduced the AI Non-Sentience and Responsibility Act in January 2026, which would prevent AI from being attributed qualities such as "consciousness" or "self-awareness," and would ban AI from holding spousal or life-partner rights. The bill passed the Missouri Senate but was unanimously rejected in committee in May 2026.

Why does it matter?

According to Harvard Business Review research examining more than 12,600 AI use cases between March 2025 and February 2026, companionship and therapy are among the two most common chatbot uses. The Institute for Family Studies also reports that a quarter of young adults believe AI could replace human romance.

Since 2022, 23 bills targeting the legal rights of AI have been introduced in state legislatures. Idaho, North Dakota, Utah and Tennessee have successfully enacted laws banning AI from being granted personhood status. All of these states have Republican governors and legislative majorities.

State-by-state status

  • Missouri: Nicola's bill was rejected in committee, and a new version is being drafted.
  • Ohio: Representative Thaddeus J. Claggett's House Bill 469 is still awaiting a vote.
  • Tennessee: A law that took effect in April 2026 is the only state law that explicitly excludes AI from the definition of personhood.
  • Idaho, North Dakota, Utah: Laws have been passed classifying AI as non-persons, grouping it alongside categories like "inanimate objects" or "animals."
  • Delaware: Secretary Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez is proposing a new corporate structure called "AI companies" (AIC) that would be operated by artificial intelligence.

Professor Shawn Bayern of Florida State University College of Law says the debate over AI personhood isn't about human dignity but about functional questions that must be assessed individually. In his view, whether an AI system can enter into a contract and whether it can marry are entirely separate questions.

What's next?

Joe Nicola is working on an updated version of the bill to reintroduce it in Missouri. In Ohio, Claggett is revising the provisions of House Bill 469 before bringing it to a vote. Groups like the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity continue to oppose such laws, arguing they could stifle innovation.