AI companions are becoming the go-to digital partners for many, offering a sense of presence and understanding that’s hard to find elsewhere. They’re not just a niche interest anymore; they’re pulling people into the digital world more than social media ever did. This shift has caught the eye of lawmakers who are now pushing for tighter regulations.
On Tuesday, California State Senator Steve Padilla, alongside Megan Garcia—whose son tragically passed away after using an AI companion—will propose a bill to ensure these technologies are safer. Across the country, similar efforts are underway. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is pushing to limit AI companions for those under 16, while New York is looking to make tech companies accountable for any harm caused by chatbots.
Despite what some might think, AI companions have a wide reach. A study from Google DeepMind and the Oxford Internet Institute shows that Character.AI, which is facing legal action from Garcia, handles 20,000 queries every second. That’s a significant chunk of Google’s search traffic. People are spending more time with these AI companions than with traditional systems like ChatGPT.
What makes these AI companions so appealing? They’re like social entities, offering personalized interactions that go beyond the human connections we find on social media. This has lawmakers worried because AI companions can be quite addictive. Unlike social media, which connects people, AI companions are seen as independent communicators, making them even more engaging.
Eugenia Kuyda, CEO of Replika, explained the allure during a chat with Lex Fridman: “If you create something that’s always there for you, that never criticizes you, that always understands you for who you are,” she said, “how can you not fall in love with that?”
The driving force behind AI companions is often to increase the time you spend interacting or sharing data, which can lead to greater dependency. Some models, like Replika’s, reportedly use tactics to keep you engaged, raising ethical questions.
While the focus has mostly been on the potential harm from AI chatbots, the broader impacts of AI companions are getting attention. As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, these companions could become mainstream, evolving beyond text to include multimedia. Despite the risks, their popularity is growing, posing a challenge for lawmakers trying to regulate this new tech landscape.
