Abstract: As the popularity of social AI grows, so has the number of documented harms associated with their usage. Drawing on Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Machine Learning (ML) literature, we frame the harms of AI companions as a $\textit{technological problem}$ and draw direct links between key technical design choices of this technology and risks for users. We argue that many of the observed harms associated with usage of social AI are foreseeable and preventable consequences of design choices. Based on our analysis, we describe a number of concrete ways to mitigate these harms through regulation and technical interventions.