Artificial intelligence characters are dangerous without legal guardrails

Mindy Nunez Duffourc; Falk Gerrik Verhees; Stephen Gilbert

doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02375-3

Artificial intelligence characters are dangerous without legal guardrails

Mindy Nunez Duffourc^*
, Falk Gerrik Verhees
, Stephen Gilbert

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Online interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) characters pose serious risks to humans who begin to trust them. Currently, there is a low barrier to access AI characters, and regulations fail to adequately protect users online. We discuss the specific risks of AI characters, the regulatory framework and potential avenues for mitigating harm.

Original language	English
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature human behaviour
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02375-3
Publication status	Published - 5 Dec 2025

Keywords

HUMANS

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title = "Artificial intelligence characters are dangerous without legal guardrails",

abstract = "Online interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) characters pose serious risks to humans who begin to trust them. Currently, there is a low barrier to access AI characters, and regulations fail to adequately protect users online. We discuss the specific risks of AI characters, the regulatory framework and potential avenues for mitigating harm.",

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N2 - Online interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) characters pose serious risks to humans who begin to trust them. Currently, there is a low barrier to access AI characters, and regulations fail to adequately protect users online. We discuss the specific risks of AI characters, the regulatory framework and potential avenues for mitigating harm.

AB - Online interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) characters pose serious risks to humans who begin to trust them. Currently, there is a low barrier to access AI characters, and regulations fail to adequately protect users online. We discuss the specific risks of AI characters, the regulatory framework and potential avenues for mitigating harm.

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JO - Nature human behaviour

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Artificial intelligence characters are dangerous without legal guardrails

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