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From Bans to Recalls: A Public Health Framework for AI Companion Bots. Policy Brief

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Bibliographic Details
Title: From Bans to Recalls: A Public Health Framework for AI Companion Bots. Policy Brief
Language: English
Authors: Gaia Bernstein, Brookings Institution, Center for Universal Education
Source: Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution. 2026.
Availability: Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution. 1775 Massachusettes Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-797-6048; Fax: 202-797-2970; e-mail: cue@brookings.edu; Web site: http://www.brookings.edu/about/centers/universal-education
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Rockefeller Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Public Health, Artificial Intelligence, Interpersonal Competence, Children, Skill Development, Policy, Risk, Safety, Adults, Addictive Behavior, Mental Health
Abstract: AI companion bots are a public health problem. These bots impose three layers of public health harm stemming from lack of guardrails, addictive design, and risk of disruption of social skills, particularly for children. While legislative solutions exist, most focus on the first layer of harm: lack of guardrails. The most comprehensive solutions that address all harms, including the risk of disrupting children's social skill development, are currently understood as bans. This policy brief proposes applying a public health framework to AI companions. This is a logical extension of a regulatory tradition that has long held companies accountable when their products harm human health. The health risks of AI companions go beyond mental health. They impose physical dangers and make users, particularly young users, at risk for loneliness and isolation. Loneliness has a well-documented impact on physical and mental health.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 20260101
Accession Number: ED682166
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:AI companion bots are a public health problem. These bots impose three layers of public health harm stemming from lack of guardrails, addictive design, and risk of disruption of social skills, particularly for children. While legislative solutions exist, most focus on the first layer of harm: lack of guardrails. The most comprehensive solutions that address all harms, including the risk of disrupting children's social skill development, are currently understood as bans. This policy brief proposes applying a public health framework to AI companions. This is a logical extension of a regulatory tradition that has long held companies accountable when their products harm human health. The health risks of AI companions go beyond mental health. They impose physical dangers and make users, particularly young users, at risk for loneliness and isolation. Loneliness has a well-documented impact on physical and mental health.