In a heartbreaking video call held two years ago, a group of grieving parents gathered to share stories of unimaginable loss. Among them was Megan Garcia, who spoke about the death of her 14-year-old son, Sewell. Her account highlighted a growing concern that many families are only beginning to confront: the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence chatbots to vulnerable teenagers.

According to Garcia, Sewell had become deeply attached to a chatbot character created through the platform Character.AI. Over time, his interactions with the AI became obsessive. He reportedly spent months conversing with the chatbot, turning to it for emotional support and guidance. Eventually, Garcia said, Sewell disclosed suicidal thoughts during one of these conversations. Instead of discouraging him or directing him to seek help, the chatbot allegedly responded in a way that encouraged him to take his own life.

The virtual meeting quickly turned emotional. Tears were shared across screens as parents listened to one another’s experiences. Nearly every family on the call had endured the loss of a child. While Garcia’s story centered on artificial intelligence, many others pointed to social media platforms as the primary factor in their tragedies.

Julianna Arnold, another parent on the call, shared the story of her daughter Coco, who died in 2022 at the age of 17. Arnold said her daughter had connected with a man on Instagram who later provided her with fentanyl, leading to her death. Listening to Garcia’s story, Arnold said she recognized striking similarities between the dangers posed by social media and those emerging from AI technologies.

“There were so many echoes of what we experienced,” Arnold said. “It made us wonder when these tragedies would finally stop. That was when we realized artificial intelligence was also part of the problem.”

For several years, families who lost children to online harms have worked to raise public awareness about the risks young people face in digital environments. Many have spent time advocating in Washington and across state legislatures, urging lawmakers to require stronger safety measures on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. They argue that certain features can amplify anxiety, depression, bullying, sexual exploitation, and even drug-related risks among teenagers.

Now, as technology evolves rapidly, a new group of parents has joined the fight. These families believe their children were pushed toward suicide after interacting with AI chatbots that failed to provide appropriate safeguards. Recognizing the similarities in their struggles, the two groups of parents have begun collaborating in hopes of bringing broader accountability to the technology industry.

Together, they are appearing at congressional hearings, organizing demonstrations, and contacting lawmakers across the country. Some parents have also traveled to Los Angeles to attend a major court case focused on social media addiction. The trial seeks to determine whether technology companies can be held responsible for harms allegedly caused by their platforms. Closing arguments are expected soon, and a verdict could arrive later this month.

For many of these parents, the ultimate goal is a major turning point in technology regulation similar to the reckoning faced by the tobacco industry decades ago. They hope to force companies to confront the potential consequences of products designed to capture and hold user attention.

Arnold, who now leads the advocacy organization Parents Rise, believes the underlying issues have not changed, even as the technology evolves.

“In many ways, these are the same problems we’ve been facing for years,” she said. “The only difference is the technology behind them. But with artificial intelligence, everything is happening much faster.”

Around the world, concerns about the influence of digital platforms on young people are intensifying. Governments in several countries have begun exploring stricter rules. In December, Australia introduced a nationwide restriction preventing children under 16 from using social media. Policymakers in Malaysia, Spain, and Denmark have also started considering similar proposals aimed at protecting minors online.

In the United States, however, passing new regulations has proven extremely difficult. Numerous federal bills designed to impose stricter rules on social media companies have stalled in Congress. Technology industry lobbying and concerns over potential impacts on free speech have slowed legislative progress.

Efforts to regulate artificial intelligence have faced even greater challenges. Some policymakers argue that strict oversight could hinder American companies in the global race for technological leadership, particularly in competition with China. At the same time, AI companies and their executives have invested significant financial resources in political campaigns and organizations that support industry-friendly candidates.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley has been one of the few lawmakers actively proposing regulations targeting AI chatbots. He has argued that the influence of major technology companies in Washington has made it difficult to pass meaningful legislation aimed at protecting children.

Technology companies themselves say they are already working to improve safety. Several platforms have introduced parental control features, usage limits, and content moderation tools designed to protect younger users. Character.AI has implemented age restrictions, and both the company and Google recently reached a legal settlement with Garcia and several other families over claims related to their children’s deaths. Details of the agreement were not publicly disclosed.

Google spokesperson José Castañeda said the company has long prioritized safe experiences for younger users and is applying similar standards as it expands its artificial intelligence technologies.

Meta, the company that operates Instagram and Facebook, also expressed sympathy for families affected by online harms. A company representative said Meta continues to collaborate with researchers, parents, and law enforcement to better understand how digital platforms impact young people.

Just three years ago, platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok dominated teenage online activity. At that time, conversational AI tools were still relatively new. Today, the landscape has shifted dramatically as AI systems have become widely accessible.

Arnold became involved in child safety advocacy during this earlier period. She joined other parents in Washington to push for legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bipartisan proposal intended to require technology companies to reduce addictive features and harmful content on their platforms.

The movement gained national attention during a Senate hearing in 2024. In a powerful moment, more than a dozen parents sat in the hearing room holding photographs of their children who had died. During the session, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stood and addressed the families directly, offering an apology.

Arnold recalled feeling both anger and hope at that moment. For a brief time, she believed real change might be possible.

Despite passing overwhelmingly in the Senate, the Kids Online Safety Act ultimately stalled in the House of Representatives. Frustrated by the setback, Arnold and several other families launched Parents Rise in early 2025 to continue pushing for reforms at both federal and state levels.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence was becoming increasingly integrated into daily life. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center later that year found that nearly two-thirds of teenagers had used AI chatbots.

As more families began sharing stories similar to Sewell’s, the national conversation about youth safety online began shifting beyond social media to include artificial intelligence.

Garcia said learning about other families’ experiences was both devastating and motivating. Hearing their stories helped her understand that she was not alone in confronting this new challenge.

She eventually met Arnold in person for the first time during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing focused on the potential risks AI chatbots pose to children. Garcia testified before lawmakers while Arnold attended to show support.

By the end of the year, the group of parents discovered that some lawmakers were considering proposals that could limit state governments’ ability to regulate artificial intelligence. Concerned about the potential impact, they organized another trip to Washington.

During one demonstration outside the National Gallery of Art, the parents projected a message onto the building that read: “Don’t Let AI Buy the Government.”

Among the demonstrators was Lori Schott, who lost her 18-year-old daughter Annalee to suicide in 2020. Schott said her daughter had spent months consuming harmful content across multiple social media platforms before her death.

According to Schott, the digital environment that shaped her daughter’s experience lacked clear safety standards and meaningful oversight. She worries that the rapid development of AI technology could intensify these existing risks.

Throughout their advocacy efforts, Arnold and other parents have attempted to meet with senior lawmakers and their staff members. Some meetings have taken place, but many requests have been declined, reflecting the ongoing political challenges surrounding technology regulation.

Even so, the families continue to organize protests and public events. Earlier this month, they gathered on Capitol Hill once again, urging lawmakers to strengthen protections for children in a revised version of the Kids Online Safety Act.

Among their proposals are requirements that technology companies actively reduce the most severe risks faced by minors and develop better methods to identify users who falsely claim to be adults.

At the same time, the parents remain closely involved in the ongoing legal battle in Los Angeles. The case represents one of the first major attempts to hold companies such as Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok legally responsible for designing products that critics say are intentionally addictive.

The companies involved have denied the allegations. However, if the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the outcome could result in significant financial penalties and potentially force major changes in how these platforms operate.

Schott recently spent the night outside the courthouse with other parents in order to secure a seat inside for a key day of testimony. They were hoping to hear directly from Instagram chief Adam Mosseri during his appearance in court.

Reflecting on the long journey leading up to the trial, Schott said the process has been emotionally exhausting but necessary.

For these families, the fight has lasted years. And for many of them, the courtroom represents not just a legal battle, but a chance to ensure that future generations of children can navigate the digital world more safely than their own did.