For parents still catching up on generative artificial intelligence, the rise of the companion chatbot may still be a mystery.
In broad strokes, the technology can seem relatively harmless, compared to other threats teens can encounter online, including financial sextortion.
Using AI-powered platforms like Character.AI, Replika, Kindroid, and Nomi, teens create lifelike conversation partners with unique traits and characteristics, or engage with companions created by other users. Some are even based on popular television and film characters, but still forge an intense, individual bond with their creator.
Teens use these chatbots for a range of purposes, including to role play, explore their academic and creative interests, and to have romantic or sexually explicit exchanges.
But AI companions are designed to be captivating, and that’s where the trouble often begins, says Robbie Torney, program manager at Common Sense Media.
The nonprofit organization recently released guidelines to help parentsunderstand how AI companions work, along with warning signs indicating that the technology may be …