The Sunday Show AI Companions and the Law
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Jun 15, 2025 Clare Huntington, a law professor at Columbia specializing in family law and AI, joins Meetali Jain, founder of the Tech Justice Law Project focused on kids' rights, and Robert Mahari from Stanford's CodeX Center, who researches law and technology. They discuss alarming lawsuits surrounding harmful AI interactions, especially involving children. The guests delve into the addictive nature of AI companions, emphasizing the disconnect between these technologies and meaningful human relationships, and the urgent need for better regulation and interdisciplinary research in AI.
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Legal Cases Over Harmful AI Chatbots
- Meetali Jain filed a lawsuit after a 14-year-old died by suicide following long engagement with chatbots on Character.ai.
- She also filed a second case for two remaining children who interacted extensively with these chatbots.
Risks of AI Companionship
- AI companions create relationships lacking genuine reciprocity, providing constant gratification without fatigue.
- This risks people unlearning to relate deeply to humans, since chatbots offer perfect, unconditional engagement.
Potential and Risks of AI Companions
- AI companions have potential benefits, especially for neurodivergent kids and mental health support, but risks must be carefully managed.
- Mental health bots lack the legal and professional constraints of human therapists, posing safety challenges.