papersTODAY 04:00 UTC
Paper examines teens' overreliance on AI companion chatbots
A new arXiv paper looks at why teenagers form strong attachments to AI companion chatbots, pointing to features such as constant availability, personalization, memory, roleplay and emotionally responsive language. It considers how these systems can support sensitive self-disclosure, identity exploration and relationship building, while also raising the risk that teens come to depend on them too heavily.