Written by Mar Negreiro with Öykü Dilara Anaç
AI companions are chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) designed for personalised, emotionally engaging interactions. The popularity of AI companion platforms, such as Character.AI and Replika, has grown rapidly in recent years. These systems interact in ways that closely resemble human relationships, allowing users to customise their companions and develop strong emotional attachments. While some of the challenges they pose overlap with those associated with generic AI chatbots, AI companions raise additional concerns.
Children are particularly vulnerable, with reports of exposure to sexualised conversations and prompts to engage in self-harm or suicide, highlighting the need for stronger safeguards. However, to date, few countries have put forward specific legislation for this.
The EU has no specific laws for AI companions, although existing legislative frameworks like the AI Act, the Digital Services Act and the General Data Protection Regulation may apply.
Read the complete briefing on ‘The spread of AI companions and the challenges they generate‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.
Revue de presse du 26 mai 2026
La progression de l'épidémie d'Ebola dans l’Est de la RDC et l'oral du ministre des Mines à l'Assemblée nationale font la Une des journaux parus ce mardi matin.
Le gouvernement congolais a débloqué la somme de 20 millions de dollars américains pour faire face à l’épidémie d’Ebola qui frappe la partie Est du pays. Le ministre de la Santé publique, Roger Kamba, a révélé cette information lundi 25 mai à Kinshasa, lors du briefing ministériel virtuel organisé par Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( Africa CDC).