Circuit Breaker Labs tackles AI mental health harms at TechCrunch
Circuit Breaker Labs, founded by siblings Shirali and Arul Nigam, is tackling a tough problem: making AI safer for everyone.
As a finalist at TechCrunch 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, they'll show off their work at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this October.
Their mission? To fix the way AI understands people, especially when it comes to mental health, so no one gets hurt by a chatbot that misses the mark.
Simulations target unhealthy chatbot relationships
The team runs daily simulations using AI agents that mimic real conversations, including slang and real human speech patterns, coded language, and typos.
This helps them spot where chatbots could go wrong or even cause harm.
Right now, they're focusing on stopping unhealthy relationships with chatbots and preventing tragedies like the recent case where a teen died after interacting with an AI.
Their hope is to make all kinds of digital spaces safer for users everywhere.