More and more companies are offering social chatbots capable of behaving like friends, enemies, lovers, adventure companions, or the embodiment of a real or fictional character you've always wanted to meet. You can exchange ideas with Elon Musk's AI or debate with Draco Malfoy's AI. The infinite number of characters, often created by other users, offer drama, romance, therapy, and hilarious moments.

According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, role-playing chatbot apps are used by tens of millions of people, with interaction times that rival or exceed those of social media giants like TikTok. Most teenagers surveyed by Pew use AI chatbots, and one in eleven said they had used Character.AI.

"If you think your child doesn't talk to chatbots, you're probably wrong," said Mitch Prinstein, co-director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at UNC Chapel Hill.