Over the last five years the use of highly personalized artificial intelligence chatbots — called companion chatbots — designed to act as friends, therapists or even romantic partners has skyrocketed ...

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, California will officially become the first state to limit youth access to AI chatbots. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 243 ...

New York (CNN) — The Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into seven tech companies around potential harms their artificial intelligence chatbots could cause to children and ...

The legislation comes as AI companion apps have exploded in popularity among teenagers. According to Common Sense Media, 72% of teens have used an AI companion, and more than half are regular users.

A screenshot from the site Replika, which creates a custom chatbot that mirrors the user. AI is not just for automating tasks or coming up with new recipe ideas. Increasingly, people are turning to AI ...