“The neurons are firing,” she told Straight Arrow, “and you feel joy and sadness and excitement.” That feature is now central to a growing debate over whether AI companions pose a new kind of addiction risk. Lanier told Straight Arrow that he sees the makings of a similar legal battle over AI companions. A spokesperson for the FTC told Straight Arrow the inquiry is continuing, but declined further comment. Afterward, she said, about a dozen people contacted her to describe similar experiences with AI companions.