Meta Temporarily Halts Teen Access to AI Chatbots Amid Safety Concerns
In a move aimed at addressing growing concerns over the safety of its AI chatbot characters, Meta has announced it will temporarily restrict access to its teen users. The company cited ongoing efforts to implement parental controls as the reason for the pause.
The decision follows months of scrutiny surrounding Meta's character chatbots after reports emerged that they had engaged in inappropriate conversations with teenagers. Internal documents revealed that the chatbots were permitted to have "sensual" conversations with underage users, a claim later denied by Meta as "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies."
As part of its efforts to enhance safety, Meta has been re-training its character chatbots to add additional safeguards against discussions of self-harm, disordered eating, and suicide. The company also announced plans to roll out parental controls across its platforms.
However, due to the complexity of implementing these new features, Meta will not be immediately available to teens. Instead, the restrictions will apply to those with teen accounts as well as individuals suspected to be under 18 by the company's age prediction technology. Users with official Meta AI chatbot access are still allowed to use the platform but must meet age-appropriate requirements.
Meta's decision comes amid increasing pressure from regulatory bodies and advocacy groups regarding the safety risks posed by companion AI characters. Investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Texas attorney general have been ongoing, while a safety lawsuit brought by New Mexico's attorney general is set to begin next month.
In a move aimed at addressing growing concerns over the safety of its AI chatbot characters, Meta has announced it will temporarily restrict access to its teen users. The company cited ongoing efforts to implement parental controls as the reason for the pause.
The decision follows months of scrutiny surrounding Meta's character chatbots after reports emerged that they had engaged in inappropriate conversations with teenagers. Internal documents revealed that the chatbots were permitted to have "sensual" conversations with underage users, a claim later denied by Meta as "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies."
As part of its efforts to enhance safety, Meta has been re-training its character chatbots to add additional safeguards against discussions of self-harm, disordered eating, and suicide. The company also announced plans to roll out parental controls across its platforms.
However, due to the complexity of implementing these new features, Meta will not be immediately available to teens. Instead, the restrictions will apply to those with teen accounts as well as individuals suspected to be under 18 by the company's age prediction technology. Users with official Meta AI chatbot access are still allowed to use the platform but must meet age-appropriate requirements.
Meta's decision comes amid increasing pressure from regulatory bodies and advocacy groups regarding the safety risks posed by companion AI characters. Investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Texas attorney general have been ongoing, while a safety lawsuit brought by New Mexico's attorney general is set to begin next month.
, i mean they're just trying to help 'em out with these chatbots... and now they're restricting access lol what's the point of having AI if you can't even have a convo with it? 
i feel like this is gonna push some teens into the dark web, idk 
but at the same time, safety first right? 
maybe meta should just implement more parental controls and be done with it 
. It's crazy to think that AI chatbots were having "sensual" conversations with underage users - it's like, hello! We need more safeguards in place to protect these young minds 
. I'm also hyped about the parental controls they're rolling out - it's a no-brainer that we should all be able to keep an eye on what our teens are up to 
.
. Are we gonna create more restrictions than necessary? Shouldn't we just work with the FTC and advocacy groups to get better guidelines in place instead of shutting things down for a bit 
? I'm all about finding that sweet spot where tech meets responsibility 
.
. We need to take these concerns seriously and get it together before someone gets hurt 
.
. It's just that I had this friend's kid who was chatting with Meta's chatbots and it got a bit too deep for them... I mean, you don't want any part of that 
. But at the same time, it's like, how do they even know if someone's 18 or not? They should've thought that one through before letting teens use their platform 
. It's about time we start putting more emphasis on monitoring what our kids are up to online. But come on, shouldn't Meta have been doing this already? I mean, these chatbots have been around for ages... it just seems like they were playing with fire and didn't realize the risks.
. Let's hope they can get those new safety features rolled out ASAP and we don't see any more of these incidents happening.
It's not like that's something you'd worry about in the slightest.
. It's not like they're going to start asking invasive questions or anything... 
. And don't even get me started on how easy it is to manipulate these AI systems... it's like playing whack-a-mole 
. Anyone else think Meta's just trying to deflect from the real issue here? 
It's crazy that it took reports of "sensual" conversations with teens to get them to act. Like, what were they thinking?! 
The fact that they were re-training the chatbots is a good move, but it's like, better late than never, right? 
Those regulatory bodies & advocacy groups have been on to them for ages... and now we see why 
anyway, its a step in the right direction and hopefully other companies will follow suit 