Maine passes consumer AI safeguards as lawmakers eye broader rules

Maine Legislature passes consumer AI law: practical takeaways for counsel

Updated: Sep 15, 2025 - Augusta, Maine

Maine lawmakers advanced a consumer-focused AI bill after unanimous committee support and passage "under the hammer" - a move that approves a measure in chamber without a roll-call vote or floor debate.

Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, framed the intent plainly: as AI systems become more human-like in customer interactions, the law needs to keep pace. She also noted reports that AI chatbots helped drive roughly a 4% bump in 2024 holiday sales, underscoring the scale of commercial use.

What passed - and what's next

The bill targets consumer protection in AI-enabled commerce. While final text and effective dates were not detailed at passage, the direction is clear: more scrutiny on automated interactions that could mislead or confuse consumers.

Separately, a bill addressing child sexual abuse images - a complex criminal law issue - was tabled and is expected to return next session. Expect continued attention on synthetic imagery and associated liability.

Business climate in Maine

Maine companies are already deploying AI, and the Maine Chamber of Commerce is encouraging businesses to assess efficiency gains. Stakeholders are watching the governor's AI task force, with wider policy discussions expected over the coming years.

Action items for legal teams

• Inventory AI touchpoints in consumer flows: chatbots, product recommendations, customer service assist, and post-sale support.
• Reduce deception risk: ensure plain-language disclosures where consumers engage with automated systems; avoid anthropomorphic cues that could mislead.
• Tighten marketing and sales claims tied to AI. Align ads, scripts, and onboarding flows with UDAP principles and the FTC's guidance on preventing deceptive AI practices. FTC: chatbots and deception
• Stand up a review process for AI deployments: data sources, privacy, accuracy, accessibility, youth protections, and escalation paths for human review.
• Retention and auditability: keep records of model versions, prompts, guardrails, and representative transcripts that show how the system behaves in real conversations.
• Anchor policies to Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act to manage risk under existing law while the new AI bill beds in. Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §207
• Monitor the child sexual abuse image bill's return next session; prepare impact assessments for content generation, moderation, and reporting workflows.

Process watch

The consumer AI bill cleared committee and passed in chamber without a roll call. Track the enrolled text and effective date, then align internal policies and consumer disclosures accordingly.

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Key quotes

"Maine, I think, is proceeding cautiously, like many states," said Rep. Amy Kuhn, who sponsored multiple AI-related bills.

On the consumer bill: "As the technology advances, these bots are becoming more and more human-like."

Patrick Woodcock of the Maine Chamber of Commerce urged businesses to assess AI for efficiency improvements and projected a wide-ranging policy discussion ahead.