Why experts say AI companions arent safe for teens -- yet

Millions of people are drawn to generative artificial intelligence companions, like the kind that populate Character.AI, Replika, and Nomi. The companions seem impressively human. They remember conversations and use familiar verbal tics. Sometimes they even mistake themselves for flesh and bone, offering descriptions of how they eat and sleep. While it might surprise their parents, tweens and teens are doing the same, and youth safety experts are gravely worried about the consequences.