SB 243 is designed to protect children and vulnerable users from harms associated with use of AI companion chatbots.

California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots, mandating self-disclosure and limits on content for minors.

Newsom pledged to "develop a bill next year that ensures young people can use AI in a manner that is safe, age-appropriate, ...

On3, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 243 into law, making California the first state to mandate specific ...

New Yorkers are defacing ads for Friend, an AI companion startup. The campaign cost the company over $1 million.

There’s an ancient proverb that goes something like, “Give a man a new form of technology, and he will use it to cheat on his girlfriend.” I obviously made that up. But while it may not technically be ...

A fluffy, palm‑sized companion robot powered by “emotional AI” that can evolve into more than 4 million unique personalities is a positive new innovation for settings such as care homes, schools and ...

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an investigation into AI “companions” marketed to adolescents. The concern is not hypothetical. These systems are engineered to simulate intimacy, to ...

There’s an ancient proverb that goes something like, “Give a man a new form of technology, and he will use it to cheat on his girlfriend.” I obviously made that up. But while it may not technically be ...

A team of researchers from the Harvard Business School has found that a broad selection of popular AI companion apps use emotional manipulation tactics to stop users from leaving. As spotted by ...

Artificial intelligence companion apps are marketed as sources of emotional support, friendship, and even romance. But new research from Harvard Business School reveals an unsettling pattern: AI ...