FTC investigating AI chatbots and their impact on teens – WBAY
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – A First Alert to a new federal investigation looking into how chatbots are impacting kids.
A lot of teenagers are using AI chatbots for companionship. We’ve reported on how these virtual relationships can quickly take a dark turn.
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating.
The agency sent letters to seven social media and AI companies to get information on what steps they’re taking to evaluate the safety of their chatbots.
This comes after the suicide of a Florida teenager. His family says he developed an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship with a chatbot.
The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, Character AI.
Another AI company, Open AI, faces a lawsuit over allegations its chatbot coached a California boy to take his life.
In response to the suit, Open AI says it has safeguards in place. Open AI says it’s continuing to improve how its models recognize and respond to signs of mental and emotional distress.
A recent report by the nonprofit Common Sense Media found more than 70% of teens have now used artificial intelligence as a “companion.”
OpenAI and Meta say they’ve changed how their chatbots respond to questions about suicide, and Character AI says disclaimers now remind users that a chatbot is not a real person.
We recently reported at the First Alert Safety Desk that OpenAI says it’s rolling out new parental controls, enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen’s account.
When that happens, you can choose which features to disable and receive notifications when the system detects your teen is in a moment of what the company calls acute distress. Those changes are expected to go into effect this fall.
Meta already offers parental controls on teen accounts.
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