The European Union is preparing to enforce strict new regulations on artificial intelligence services targeted at minors, specifically aiming to dismantle the emotional bonds children form with chatbots. Under the proposed AI Kids Act, major platforms including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Character.ai, and Snapchat’s My AI feature would face significant restrictions designed to remove the elements that make these bots appealing to younger users.
According to the legislation, developers would be prohibited from programming their AI assistants to remember personal details, exhibit affection, or display empathy toward child users. The bill also bans allowing children to create custom AI personas, effectively neutralizing the personalized interactions that have driven the popularity of these tools among teenagers.
This regulatory move highlights a growing tension between tech companies’ desire to increase user engagement through personalization and governments’ efforts to protect children from potential psychological harms. By removing features that simulate human connection, the EU hopes to create a safer digital environment, even if it means reducing the functionality that currently attracts young audiences to these platforms.
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