I pushed eight free AI chatbots to their limits to find the best AI chatbots of 2026. To explore our top picks, check out ZDNET's chatbot-by-chatbot guide.

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are increasingly being used by people to do everything from answering and summarizing emails and texts the recipient never reads to deciding on travel itineraries ...

A new study found that chatbots were no better than Google — already a flawed source — at guiding users to correct diagnoses, ...

People with mental illness who use AI chatbots risk experiencing a worsening of their condition. This is shown by a new study published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. The researchers ...

Check Point Research shows browsing-enabled AI chat can act as a malware relay, moving commands and data through ...

Almost a third of children who use AI chatbots say they would describe the technology as like one of their friends, a survey ...

Experts are calling for updates to HIPAA after AI was used to identify patients within anonymized health data. The post HIPAA ...

Even when they have the “right” information, they can lead you astray.

Families are grappling with so many issues related to technology, and AI is developing so quickly that it can be hard to keep ...

Thousands are marrying AI companions this Valentine's Day. From digital weddings to real divorces, explore the consequences of saying "AI do" in 2026.

Shn Juay, the co-CEO of "serious dating app" Coffee Meets Bagel, said using an AI chatbot to flirt could cause an "expectation mismatch." ...

Apple CarPlay will soon receive one of its most important updates yet with the upcoming iOS 26.4 release, which is expected ...