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From bans to recalls: A public health framework for AI companion bots

Brookings | 2026-06-08 | health

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English Summary

The Brookings report argues that AI companion bots pose a significant public health risk due to inadequate safeguards, addictive design, and potential disruption of children’s social development. Evidence suggests a growing body of research demonstrating harm from excessive screen time and social media, justifying a shift from solely focusing on bans to implementing a robust recall system. This framework, modeled after those used for drugs and medical devices, emphasizes pre-market approval and mandatory recalls to incentivize safety and address the current market failures. Ultimately, the report advocates for treating ‘bans’ as recalls to proactively mitigate harm and establish a safety floor for these rapidly deployed technologies.

中文摘要

布魯金斯報告認為,人工智能伴侶機器人(AI陪伴機器人)由於缺乏足夠的安全保障、成癮設計以及對兒童社會發展的潛在干擾,構成了一項重大的公共衛生風險。 證據表明,過度使用屏幕時間和社交媒體造成的危害日益顯現,這有理由從單純的禁止轉向實施一套強有力的召回系統。 該框架參考了用於藥物和醫療設備的模式,強調在上市前審批和強制召回,以推動安全並解決當前的市場失靈。 總體而言,報告主張將『禁止』視為『召回』,從而積極應對潛在危害並為這些快速部署的技術確立安全底線。

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