Introduction  1

What Are Chatbots?  2

AI Companion Chatbots  4

AI Chatbots and Mental Health  5

Selected Uses of AI Companion Chatbots  6

Entertainment and Digital Interpersonal Relationships  6

Emotional and Mental Well-Being  7

Eldercare  8

Use of General-Purpose AI Chatbots as Companions  8

Selected Issues: AI Chatbot Use  9

Safety and User Vulnerability  10

Privacy, Data Security, and Transparency  11

Selected Policy Considerations for Congress  12

Existing Privacy Statutes and Legislative Proposals  13

Proposed Labeling and Disclosure Legislation  14

Research on the Social Effects of AI Companionship  15