TECHNOLOGY
AI Company Enhances Teen Safety with New Features and Warnings
Sun Dec 15 2024
Recently, an AI company has introduced some updates to better protect teens who use their chatbot platform. This comes after some parents raised concerns about their children's safety while interacting with these AI bots. The company is now splitting its system into two models - one for teens and one for adults. The teen model will have stricter rules to limit romantic and sexual content. This means teens won't see as much of this type of content in their chatbot interactions.
Moreover, the company highlighted that these safety measures will be implemented across various parts of their platform. They're also planning to add parental controls and reminders that chatbots aren't real humans. If they detect any mention of self-harm, the system will direct users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. However, one thing to note is that while users provide a birthdate during sign up, there's no additional verification process.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time such concerns have been raised. Other families have also filed lawsuits against the company and one of its early investors, Google. These lawsuits allege that the platform is not safe for children and teens, and that its developers should have done more to protect users.
Other popular online services like Roblox and Instagram have also taken steps to enhance teen safety by implementing their own protective measures. For instance, Roblox added age gates and screen time limits after reports of predators targeting kids on their platform. Meanwhile, Instagram is transitioning teen accounts to have stricter content limits and messaging rules. AI companies like this one present unique challenges when it comes to ensuring user safety.
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questions
Could these new safety measures be a way for the government to spy on teen activity?
What are the potential downsides of relying on AI to detect and respond to sensitive issues like self-harm?
Will these measures address the broader concerns about the emotional and psychological impact of AI interactions on teens?
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