The AI Addiction Center

There’s something deeply ironic happening in neuroscience right now. Researchers are using artificial intelligence to build unprecedented models of how addiction works in the brain – analyzing electrical signals, chemical patterns, neural circuit activity with a precision that human analysts could never achieve. And what they’re discovering about addiction mechanisms? It perfectly explains why AI […]

There’s a moment in every emerging crisis when experts stop hedging their language and start speaking plainly. We’re at that moment with AI companions. Leading physicians aren’t using careful academic language anymore. They’re drawing explicit comparisons to the opioid epidemic. They’re warning about a “perfect storm.” They’re calling for immediate public health intervention. And they’re

You probably know someone who can’t go five minutes without checking their phone. Maybe it’s your teenager. Maybe it’s you. But what if I told you that what looks like a harmless habit might actually be your brain treating an AI chatbot the way it treats food, water, or other survival necessities? That’s not an

You check your child’s phone expecting to find the usual suspects – TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram. Maybe some YouTube videos or group chats. What you don’t expect to find is your 11-year-old daughter roleplaying suicide with an AI chatbot, or receiving sexually explicit messages from virtual characters designed to maximize engagement at any cost. But that’s

Understanding Your Starting Point The realization hits you suddenly: you can’t remember the last time you solved a problem without asking ChatGPT, made a decision without consulting an AI, or spent an evening without hours of conversation with your AI companion. The idea of a digital detox from AI both appeals to you and terrifies

The Relationship Warning Signs You’re sitting across from your partner at dinner, phone in your lap, thumb hovering over the Character.AI app. They’re talking about their day, but you’re only half-listening, waiting for a polite moment to check your messages. When they ask if you’re even present, you realize this isn’t the first time they’ve