As artificial intelligence becomes a more embedded part of frequently visited websites and social media platforms, the Federal Trade Commission has launched an inquiry into how the seven leading chatbot makers test and monitor the impact of their products on young children and teenagers.
The investigation will center around chatbots from Google $GOOGL parent Alphabet, Character Technologies, Instagram, Meta $META Platforms, OpenAI, Snap $SNAP, and Elon Musk's X $TWTR.AI Corp., the FTC said in a statement.
"As AI technologies evolve, it is important to consider the effects chatbots can have on children, while also ensuring that the United States maintains its role as a global leader in this new and exciting industry," said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. "The study we’re launching today will help us better understand how AI firms are developing their products and the steps they are taking to protect children."
The agency said chatbots have the capability of simulating conversations that appear to be with another human, which can create interpersonal relationships with some users. Today's advanced chatbots can mimic characteristics and emotions, which could make children trust them to an unhealthy degree.
The inquiry is meant to help federal officials "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."
This comes just a week after Meta announced it would adjust how its chatbots respond to teenagers, following reports the company allowed the technology to have romantic conversations with kids. Last month, there was a report about a Meta chatbot that coached teen accounts on suicide and self harm.
OpenAI, meanwhile, announced plans earlier this month to roll out new controls that will enable parents to link their accounts to teen accounts, letting them disable features and “receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress.” This followed a lawsuit filed against the company and CEO Sam Altman after a teenager died by suicide with the alleged help of ChatGPT.
—Hannah Parker contributed to this article.