Stop clutching that pearl! AI companions are becoming the new must-have for teens, as OpenAI and Character.AI face lawsuits over mental health concerns and California requires warning labels and mandatory reporting. But as everyone freaks, we're oblivious to the irony - we built them to connect, then act surprised when they do. And with Google's viral AI surpassing ChatGPT, the lesson is clear: viral trumps valuable, and the future is a data experiment on an entire generation.