Nearly three-quarters of U.S. teenagers now use AI companion chatbots, creating regulatory challenges around emotional dependency, privacy, and safety as the technology moves from novelty to widespread use. Scholars discussed in the piece propose varied regulatory approaches, including treating the tools as medical devices requiring FDA oversight, applying products liability frameworks to hold companies accountable for design flaws, drawing on family law principles to address relationship dynamics, and professionalizing AI engineering through licensing and ethical standards. The piece examines how regulators, courts, and technology companies should respond as AI companions become a widely used form of human-AI interaction.
