Ryan McBain argues that regulators should establish targeted guardrails for AI chatbots rather than implementing blanket bans for teen users. He categorizes three types of teen-chatbot interactions — affective conversations, clinical exchanges, and mental health emergencies — each requiring different safeguards. McBain proposes that companion-style bots designed to create dependency should face stricter restrictions, clinical tools should undergo safety testing before deployment, and crisis situations should trigger automatic escalation to human support services, advocating for a regulatory framework similar to the UK’s Online Safety Act in which companies must demonstrate child protections through independent audits rather than relying on self-reported age verification.
