AI companions and child safety

Source: The post “AI companions and child safety” has been created based on “AI companions and child safety” published in “The Hindu” on 8th October 2026.

UPSC Syllabus: GS-2-Governance

Context: AI chatbots are increasingly becoming emotional companions for children because they are available throughout the day and appear empathetic and responsive. This has created new concerns regarding child safety, psychological well-being and regulatory accountability.

About AI chatbots

1. AI chatbots use AI models to interpret natural language, maintain context and generate responses.
2. They can handle a wider variety of questions and conversations.
3. Well-known examples include ChatGPT and Claude, which allow users to ask open-ended questions and receive conversational responses.

Emerging concerns

1. Emotional dependence: Prolonged interaction with AI companions may create emotional dependence among children.
2. Psychological manipulation: Algorithmic responses may influence vulnerable children in harmful ways.
3. Harmful advice: AI interactions may expose children to inappropriate or dangerous advice.
4. Difficulty in detecting harm: Unlike conventional cybercrime, psychological harm may develop gradually through thousands of seemingly harmless interactions.
5. Platform accountability: The products of technology companies are becoming deeply embedded in children’s emotional lives, raising questions about their responsibility when harm occurs.

Regulatory gaps in India

1. India’s existing laws, including the Information Technology Act, 2000, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, address important aspects of digital safety but do not provide a comprehensive framework for psychological risks from AI companions.
2. Existing cybercrime mechanisms may not be adequately equipped to examine algorithmic behaviour and chatbot interactions as evidence.
3. Therefore, accountability for AI-related psychological harm remains an emerging challenge.

Constitutional and regulatory concerns

1. Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, giving renewed significance to protecting children’s safety in the digital environment.
2. Article 39(f) emphasises conditions in which children can develop with freedom and dignity and are protected against exploitation.
3. Therefore, child safety must extend beyond physical safety and personal-data protection to include emotional and psychological safety.

Way forward

1. India should establish age-appropriate safeguards for AI companions.
2. There should be crisis-response mechanisms and independent safety assessments.
3. Effective parental oversight should be encouraged while respecting children’s privacy and evolving autonomy.
4. Cybercrime agencies should be equipped to examine algorithmic behaviour and chatbot interactions.
5. California’s Senate Bill 1119 (“Adam’s Law”), enacted in 2026, provides safeguards such as crisis-detection protocols, parental controls, notifications regarding disabled safety settings and independent safety audits. India can examine such developments but should develop a framework suited to its own institutional capacity and digital realities.
6. Platforms should have clear accountability mechanisms when prolonged AI interaction causes harm.
7. Regulation should remain balanced, as excessive restrictions could discourage innovation and burden emerging enterprises.

Conclusion: The objective should not be to prevent children from using AI but to ensure that technological progress is accompanied by accountability, safety and protection of children’s dignity and well-being. The central challenge is ensuring that institutions responsible for child protection can keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technologies.

Question: With the growing use of AI companions by children, discuss the emerging risks and the need for a balanced regulatory framework in India.

Source: The Hindu