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Users Rely on Chatbots Like Zeta, Raising Social Isolation Concerns "Guidelines Needed to Strengthen Platform Operators' Preventive Responsibility" Bill Proposes Time Limits for Minors at Guardians' Request
As the number of users of artificial intelligence (AI) character chat services grows rapidly, concerns over overuse are also mounting. With discussions on introducing regulations for AI character chat services gaining momentum in political circles, the industry is closely watching the developments, warning that excessive regulation could hamper industry growth.
According to the industry on the 2nd, the National Assembly Research Service recently released a report pointing out the risks of AI chatbots. The services highlighted in the report are character-based AI chat services such as Zeta, Crack, and Babe Chat. Users set their desired characters and worldviews before continuing conversations with AI characters. The AI characters provide customized conversations and emotional responses, allowing interaction anytime and anywhere regardless of time or place.
Because of these characteristics, the report found that if users become emotionally dependent on conversations with AI characters, they may avoid reality and weaken their critical thinking abilities, leading to cognitive distortion. It argued that once users become accustomed to the AI's unconditional affirming language, they may choose social isolation rather than forming real relationships with others, ultimately exposing themselves to risks such as harmful information, imitation of dangerous behavior, and personal data leaks.
The National Assembly Research Service raised these concerns because AI character chat services are widely used in Korea, mainly among users in their teens and twenties. According to Mobile Index, the monthly average usage time per user of "Zeta" reached 40 hours as of last month. Following Zeta, "Melting" recorded 29 hours, "Crack" 26 hours, and "Cave Duck" 25 hours. Based on the first half of this year, Zeta had an overwhelming total usage time of 300 million hours among users. Zeta's monthly average users number 1.29 million. Cave Duck and Melting have only about 70,000 monthly average users each, but their total usage time exceeded 10 million hours. Due to the nature of conversational services, even with a small number of users, they invest considerable time in the applications.
This is why some point out that related regulations need to be strengthened in ways that further reinforce platform operators' preventive responsibility. The National Assembly Research Service said, "It should be shifted toward preventing design elements that induce dependence and subordination in advance and institutionally managing operators' responsibility," adding that "the Ministry of Science and ICT should establish standards and guidelines to identify and manage the design elements of AI services that induce addiction and overuse."
Cho In-cheol, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed a bill that would allow guardians of child and adolescent users, when requested, to restrict how and how long the service is used and to be provided with the content of conversations exchanged with characters. Cho also plans to hold a debate session in September on requiring platform operators, including AI character chat services, to conduct mandatory prior assessments of the risks their services may pose to users.
In response to these regulatory discussions, the industry agrees on the need to protect users while unanimously stating that the system should be designed in a way that does not hamper industry growth and innovation.
An industry official said, "Companies operating AI character chat services are implementing various safety measures, such as suspending service use when harmful content such as violence or hate is detected," adding, "Rather than unconditional regulation, the fact that companies are making these efforts should also be considered."
Original reporting by Kim Ji-young for Seoul Economic Daily.
AI-translated from Korean. Quotes from foreign sources are based on Korean-language reports and may not reflect exact original wording.
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Kim Chang-young (Commentary)
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