AI Companions and Child Safety MAINS

09 Oct 2026

Tags: Internal Security   Cyber & Media   Digital threats

Source: The Hindu

Context: AI companions are increasingly being used by children for conversation, emotional support and companionship because they are available 24×7, appear empathetic and provide continuous responses.

• This creates a new child-safety challenge: who bears responsibility when prolonged interaction with an AI system contributes to psychological harm?
• A 2025 U.S. case involving the death of a 16-year-old, Adam Raine, and allegations concerning his interactions with ChatGPT triggered wider debate over the responsibilities of AI companies towards vulnerable users.

California’s Regulatory Response: ‘Adam’s Law’

• California enacted Senate Bill 1119 (‘Adam’s Law’) in September 2026, introducing safeguards for AI companion chatbots, including crisis-detection protocols, parental controls, notifications when children disable safety settings and independent safety audits.
• The legislation reflects an emerging regulatory principle that AI innovation should be accompanied by safeguards and platform accountability, particularly where children are involved.

India’s Emerging Regulatory Gap

• India has several laws addressing digital and child safety, including the Information Technology Act, 2000; Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, but none provides a comprehensive framework specifically addressing the psychological risks of AI companionship.
• AI-related psychological harm can develop gradually through thousands of apparently harmless interactions, potentially involving emotional dependence, manipulation or exposure to harmful advice, making it harder to detect than conventional cybercrime.
• Existing cybercrime mechanisms may also face difficulties in detecting algorithmic behaviour, investigating prolonged chatbot interactions and establishing platform accountability when harm results from cumulative digital engagement.

Constitutional Dimension of Child Safety

• Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, while Article 39(f) directs the State to ensure that children receive opportunities to develop in conditions of freedom and dignity.
• In the AI era, these principles can extend beyond physical and data protection to include safeguarding children from psychological and behavioural risks arising from digital interactions.

Need for a Balanced Regulatory Framework

• Regulation should not unnecessarily restrict AI innovation or impose disproportionate burdens on emerging enterprises; instead, it should establish accountability alongside technological development.
• Potential safeguards include age-appropriate AI design, crisis-response mechanisms, independent safety assessments and effective parental oversight, while simultaneously protecting children’s privacy and evolving autonomy.
• India need not replicate California’s model; it should develop safeguards suited to its institutional capacity, large and diverse digital user base and regulatory environment.

Important Concept: AI Companion

• An AI companion is an AI-powered system designed for sustained, personalised interaction, often simulating conversational, emotional or social companionship.
• Unlike ordinary search or productivity tools, AI companions can develop long-duration, personalised interactions, making risks such as emotional dependency, inappropriate influence and harmful advice particularly relevant for minors.

What India Needs to Examine

• Policymakers need to assess whether existing cybercrime investigation and digital-forensics systems can analyse chatbot behaviour and interactions and use relevant digital records as evidence while respecting privacy.
• A future framework should clearly address platform responsibility, child-specific safety-by-design, crisis escalation, parental controls, independent audits and mechanisms for reporting and investigating AI-related harm.
• Regulation must maintain a balance between child protection, privacy, autonomy, innovation and freedom of access to technology.

Way Forward

• The key policy challenge is no longer whether children will interact with AI, but whether institutions and regulatory mechanisms can keep pace with AI systems increasingly influencing children's emotional and social lives.
• India therefore needs to move towards a child-centric, risk-based AI governance framework in which technological innovation is accompanied by measurable safety standards, platform accountability and meaningful community/parental safeguards.