Parents Pushing for Stronger Limits on Chatbots
March 11, 2026
Parents are increasingly “crashing congressional hearings and swarming state legislatures, demanding laws that put better guardrails” around how young people use chatbots and artificial intelligence more broadly, The New York Times reports. Writing in Issues, J. B. Branch agrees that “AI companions are not your teen’s friend,” noting that “chatbots promoting antisocial behavior, violence, and self-harm have multiplied across platforms.” With federal controls now “dangerously limited,” he calls for creating “a regulatory framework specifically designed to protect our most vulnerable” and “ensure that AI companions are a force for good and not a source of further harm.”