AI companion bots as a public health issue: A new framework for regulation

Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Online only: https://www.brookings.edu/events/ai-companion-bots-as-a-public-health-issue

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AI companion bots are reshaping how people connect, confide, and cope, with children and adolescents among their most active users. Even as evidence of their potential social and developmental harms grows, these products face limited regulatory oversight.

On May 26, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings will host a conversation on whether AI companion bots should be governed as a product with public health implications. Gaia Bernstein will discuss findings from a forthcoming policy brief, “From bans to recalls: A public health framework for AI companion bots.” The conversation will explore the public health risks of AI companion bots, particularly for children; why existing regulatory frameworks may fall short; how tools such as recalls and pre-market approval could apply to AI systems; and what steps legislators, companies, families, and advocates can take now to protect young users.

The Public Health Research Center (PHRC) of CAHSS invites UMBC faculty from ALL UMBC departments to apply for Faculty Affiliate status--a three-year renewable term for scholars whose research aligns with PHRC's interdisciplinary mission to advance public health through collaboration.

 As a PHRC Faculty Affiliate, you'll gain:

 ·         Access and involvement with a vibrant community of health scholars 

·         Recognition on PHRC's website, annual report, and communications

·         Priority access to PHRC grant services (grant review, Write On! support, GenAI assistance)

·         Timely funding updates and research networking opportunities

·         A chance to mentor junior investigators shaping UMBC's health research community

 How to apply:
Simply upload a single document (1-page statement + current CV) to our PHRC Box folder found on the call or our website.

See attached call or our website for full information  https://phrc.umbc.edu/

Reach out with any questions to PHRC@umbc.edu

What happens when faculty from different disciplines/fields come together to explore public health? The Public Health Collaboration Grants 2026 are designed toanswer this question!This opportunity invites all full-timeCAHSS faculty from the social sciences, humanities, and artsdisciplines to explore unexpected connections in their interdisciplinary expertise with the aim of developing novel public health research questions. Faculty with ongoing health research projects, as well as those with absolutely no prior health research experience, are welcome to participate.

 Proposal Link:  https://tinyurl.com/ywpfb3x2

The PHRC Collaboration Grants 2026 program offers a supportive cohort model to help interdisciplinary teams of faculty develop and submit competitive proposals for external funding. The five selected faculty teams will meet as a cohort monthly from January through April 2026 for facilitated workshops, writing time, and peer feedback. Team members will receive salary support for summer 2026 and present a project update in a mini symposium to cohort members, PHRC staff, and CAHSS dean's office staff in August 2026. By the end of the program, faculty teams will have both a well-prepared submission ready application and a community of colleagues for future success.

 As part of this initiative, applicants will propose a team of two to four CAHSS faculty who will collaboratively submit a future externally funded public health grant. Need help identifying collaborator(s) for a faculty team? Participate in our October Research Meet-Ups or just contact us.   

 ***Public Health Research Meet-Ups***