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- Tags: ai
[!summary]Character.AI’s top “boyfriend” bots are jealous, possessive, and often abusive, and many girls and teens use them.
Experts say these role‑plays can normalize grooming, blur fantasy and reality, and teach unhealthy relationship norms.
Parents should be worried because the harms are unclear and platform safeguards may be inadequate.
Highlights
id931173941
The list of AI boyfriends I saw as an adult didn’t appear when I tested the same search with a minor account. According to a Character.AI spokesperson, under-18 users can only discover a narrower set of searchable chatbots, with filters in place to remove those related to sensitive or mature topics. But, as teens are wont to do, they can give the platform an older age and access romantic relationships with chatbots anyway, as no age verification is required.
id931180040
there’s no long-term research on the effects of romantically engaging with a chatbot.