Children are no longer just growing up online. They are growing up in conversation with machines.

At a time when they are still learning what relationships are supposed to feel like, AI companions create an artificial world in which they form intimate relationships with young people away from their friends and family. An always agreeable machine teaches them that closeness requires no friction and that care means never being challenged.

At the same time, AI mirrors and magnifies existing vulnerabilities. A child who is lonely gets a companion that deepens isolation. A child who is anxious gets a system that validates anxiety. A child who is struggling gets validation without challenge.

The question is no longer whether these companions will shape their lives, but how, and at what cost.

Drawing on new research and the testimonies of young people, AI Is Not Your Friend powerfully reveals the dangers of creating systems which are designed to feel like relationships and why things need to change urgently.

Written by a leading authority on AI governance, this book offers a roadmap for action that puts children first. It is essential reading for parents, educators, policymakers and anyone who wants AI to support human development, not replace it.

Ivana Bartoletti is Vice President and Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer at Wipro and founder of Women Leading in AI.