According to a CNBC report, a new addiction among teenagers involves AI chatbots, with roughly half of U.S. teens now using chatbots like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Character.AI for schoolwork, information, or fun, according to Pew Research Center. Evidence shows teens are using chatbots as a substitute for real-life friendships and are showing patterns related to addiction. When Australia became the first country to legally enforce a teen social media ban in December, it led to governments from the U.K. to Spain, France, Greece, and Canada following suit, while state-level bans are gaining traction in the U.S. However, University College London’s Associate Professor Kaitlyn Regehr told CNBC that governments spent years catching up to social media regulation, only to repeat the same mistake by allowing untested AI products to reach children. The report notes that as dangers of AI chatbots unravel, there is little to no mention of them in most legislation. The U.K.‘s teen social media ban has briefly mentioned restricting under-18s from AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots, and the U.S. House recently passed the KIDS Act to restrict AI chatbot interactions with children, though it still awaits Senate approval.