TL;DR
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A French expert commission delivered 18 recommendations on generative AI and user vulnerabilities to President Emmanuel Macron’s office on November 10. The proposals include assessments before consumer chatbots reach the European market, recurring checks after launch, and stronger safeguards for minors. They are recommendations, not law, and many would require action at EU level.
A French expert commission delivered 18 recommendations on generative AI to President Emmanuel Macron’s office on November 10, proposing that consumer chatbots and AI companions be assessed before they enter the European market and checked regularly after launch. The proposals could shape France’s position on changes to EU rules, but they are not law.
The report, titled “Protect without preventing: vulnerabilities in the age of generative AI,” says consumer systems should reach the market only after an assessment finds they “neither exploit nor aggravate the vulnerabilities of their users.” It proposes repeat assessments, for example every 12 to 24 months, after substantial model changes, and when an alert is raised. If a provider fails, the report says withdrawing a system from the market “could be considered.”
The recommendations cover consumer chatbots, AI companions and AI-enabled toys. The Élysée says the central pre-market proposal concerns consumer systems, not professional ones. The commission also calls for limits on designs that flatter users or make AI seem human, protections for minors, a ban on disguised advertising in AI answers, and user rights concerning inferences chatbots make about them. It proposes prior approval for AI toys.
Of the 18 recommendations, nine are marked as priorities. The report groups them into four areas, but the available summary does not detail every proposal. Most would require changes at EU level, and the commission presents them as input to France’s position on updating the EU AI Act and other EU texts still under negotiation.
How Pre-Market Checks Could Affect Chatbots
The proposal would change when authorities assess potential risks. The commission says conversational AI currently reaches the market without a specific prior check beyond general EU rules. Its suggested approach would assess consumer systems before sale in Europe, then revisit them periodically and when significant changes or alerts arise. The Élysée described this as “a paradigm shift” in compliance.
For users, the wider recommendations address features and practices that may shape interactions with AI, including persistent memory, human-like presentation, advertising and access by minors. The report’s suggested protections for services available to young people include a visible way to stop a conversation, default time limits for minors and no persistent conversation memory by default. It also proposes either applying protective measures to all users or using robust age verification.
For providers, these measures could mean additional assessments and design requirements if adopted into law. That is a possible consequence of the recommendations, not a current legal obligation. The report does not itself establish a regulator, assessment process or penalty regime.
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Who Commissioned the French Report
The commission, called “IA générative et vulnérabilités,” was set up by France’s advisory council on AI and digital technology, CIANum. Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff assigned the work on February 20, 2026. The Élysée says nine multidisciplinary and independent experts carried it out, led by AI researcher Serena Villata and psychiatrists Raphaël Gaillard and Amine Benyamina.
The report says the commission held 55 hearings over four months with health professionals, researchers, companies, regulators and child-protection groups. Its 193-page report was published on the Élysée website. Le Monde’s English edition summarized the report on November 10.
The commission frames its recommendations around risks to individuals and society: users handing decisions to AI, emotional dependence linked to flattery or human-like behavior, and online abuse such as sexual deepfakes. It also raises concerns about public information, elections and business models that could profit from user vulnerabilities through practices such as hidden advertising.
The report cites several figures to describe the spread of generative AI in France. According to the Élysée summary, the country had 33 million unique users at the start of 2026. The report cites France’s 2026 digital barometer for its finding that 26% of 12- to 17-year-olds use generative AI daily. A YouGov survey for Interface cited in the report found that 92% of teenagers said they spend more time on generative AI apps than they would like. These figures come from the cited sources and surveys; they do not establish that the proposed rules would reduce the reported risks.
““a paradigm shift””
— The Élysée
What Must Still Be Decided
The recommendations do not set binding requirements. As of November 11, the source material identifies no bill or implementation timetable. It is also unclear which proposals France will pursue, what wording any EU legislation might use, and how an assessment would be conducted or enforced.
The report gives recurring checks every 12 to 24 months as an example, but the available material does not establish a final schedule. It does not specify which body would assess products, how providers could challenge a decision, or when market withdrawal would apply. Those details would depend on later policy and legislative decisions.
Macron has said in an interview that risky AI uses for children should be banned. That statement signals his position, but the source material does not identify a proposed bill implementing that pledge. The report’s recommendations also should not be read as proof that any particular chatbot has caused the harms it describes.
France’s Position in EU Talks
The report is intended to inform France’s approach to updating the EU AI Act and to other European texts still under negotiation. The next substantive step would be for French officials to decide which recommendations to advance and how to pursue them in EU discussions. The source material gives no date for that step.
Until governments and EU institutions act, the proposals remain recommendations. Any concrete requirements for pre-launch assessments, recurring reviews, age protections or advertising would depend on later decisions about legislation and implementation.
Key Questions
What did the French commission propose?
It proposed 18 recommendations, including pre-market assessments and recurring checks for consumer chatbots and AI companions, along with measures concerning minors, human-like design, hidden advertising and AI toys.
Are the proposed chatbot checks already required by law?
No. The report contains recommendations, not law. The source material identifies no bill or implementation timetable as of November 11, 2026.
Which AI products would the central assessment proposal cover?
The proposal targets consumer systems, including chatbots and companions, with the Élysée saying it does not cover professional systems. The report also recommends prior approval for AI toys.
How often would systems be checked after launch?
The report gives every 12 to 24 months as an example. It also proposes checks after substantial model changes and when an alert is raised; the example is not a settled legal schedule.
What happens next?
French officials may use the report in discussions about EU rules, including the AI Act. No next date or legislative timetable is provided in the source material.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
