European Commission proposes rules to curb emotional dependency on AI companions among minors
On 17 September, the European Commission put forward a proposal for the EU KIDS Act. For AI companions and specified conversational systems available to minors, it aims to restrict features that create emotional dependency, the reuse of previous interactions and automatic activation.
On 17 September, the European Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act, whose Article 14 focuses on AI companions and specified general-purpose conversational systems available to minors. Providers would have to avoid features and behaviour that simulate interpersonal relationships in a way likely to create emotional dependency. This is a proposal, not obligations already in force.
By default, systems would not be allowed to reuse information from previous interactions with minors, except where necessary for safety. Providers would have to assess risks before deployment and subsequently monitor them. Micro and small enterprises would be exempt only from the subsequent monitoring requirement.
On social media, video-sharing platforms and in games, affected systems would not be allowed to activate automatically or be prominently displayed. Minors should not be encouraged to use them, and an option to decline their use would have to be easily accessible. The proposal does not ban AI companions themselves or emotional engagement; according to the article’s author, however, the boundary between ordinary attachment and harmful dependency remains unclear.
Why it matters
The proposal would broaden safety assessments beyond individual responses to include how a relationship with AI develops through repeated use. For providers of services available to children, checking for harmful content would therefore not be enough; they would also have to consider the design of interactions and their possible long-term effects.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
For users who are minors, the extent to which a service builds on earlier conversations and how easily they encounter an AI companion in games or on social media could change. The submission of the proposal alone does not introduce these changes.
More practical updates →For a business
Providers of affected services would have to incorporate an assessment of the risk of emotional dependency into the pre-deployment process. Under the proposal, micro and small enterprises would be exempt from subsequent monitoring, but not from the pre-deployment assessment.
Risks and complianceCheck the original
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