A report warns about the rise of AI diseases as companions, highlighting the risks to mental health and calls for regulation.

A recent report published by experts in the field of artificial intelligence highlights the rapid increase in the popularity of AI companions, which are used by millions of users. Applications like Replika and Character.ai have several tens of millions of users, who seek companionship for various reasons, including combating loneliness. Even general chatbots, like ChatGPT, can develop relationships with users. However, the report raises concerns related to mental health, mentioning that frequent use of these services can lead to increased loneliness and decreased social interactions. Following these findings, Members of the European Parliament have called on the European Commission to examine the regulation of these services. Expert Yoshua Bengio emphasized that, although AI can provide temporary comfort, the long-term effects on users, especially teenagers, are concerning, having similarities to the traps of social media platforms.