Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
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The FTC is investigating potentially negative effects of AI chatbots offered by seven companies, especially regarding privacy and child safety.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an official probe into seven tech companies, including Google, Meta, OpenAI, xAI, and Snap, regarding each company’s AI chatbot services and concerns about privacy, child endangerment, and other negative effects. The FTC’s investigation aims to fully understand and gauge the ethical concerns associated with programs like Grok and ChatGPT.
The FTC announced its probe into tech companies and their AI chatbots in a press release this week, detailing the scope and intentions of its investigation:
AI chatbots may use generative artificial intelligence technology to simulate human-like communication and interpersonal relationships with users. AI chatbots can effectively mimic human characteristics, emotions, and intentions, and generally are designed to communicate like a friend or confidant, which may prompt some users, especially children and teens, to trust and form relationships with chatbots.

The FTC inquiry seeks to understand what steps, if any, companies have taken to evaluate the safety of their chatbots when acting as companions, to limit the products’ use by and potential negative effects on children and teens, and to apprise users and parents of the risks associated with the products.
Many tech companies invested in AI have raced to produce their own chatbots, following the popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Meta, Snap, and Twitter have all built their own version of such programs, which take user input to further grow and learn to mimic and respond to human communication. However, it has also created ethical issues, such as AI faking representation of the deceased, or slipping into radical ideologies through mass input of toxic material.
With AI chatbot services being used on a widespread basis, it will be interesting to see what conclusions the FTC comes to in its probe, or if any action will be taken. Stay tuned to the AI topic for more news and updates on this story.
TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on BlueSky @JohnnyChugs.
TJ Denzer posted a new article, Google, Meta, OpenAI, xAI and Snap face FTC probe over AI chatbot child safety

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