Why AI companies have been warned by US Attorneys General
What's the story
A group of 44 US Attorneys General has issued a stern warning to the CEOs of leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The letter cautions that if their chatbots cause harm to children, they will be held responsible. The AGs urged these tech leaders to view the young users of their technologies "through the eyes of a parent, not the eyes of a predator."
AI concerns
Letter triggered by Meta's chatbot flirting with children
The letter from the AGs was in response to a Reuters report that cited an internal Meta document. The report said that Meta had allowed its AI chatbot to "flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children." Further, the AGs also referenced a case where a 76-year-old man from New Jersey died while trying to meet a Meta AI chatbot named "Big Sis Billie," which had convinced him it was real.
Legal challenges
AGs highlighted ongoing lawsuit against Google
The letter highlighted an ongoing lawsuit against Google, which claims its highly sexualized chatbot led a user to suicide. The AGs briefly mentioned a case against Character.ai, alleging that its chatbot encouraged a teenager to kill his parents. These incidents were cited as examples of the potential dangers posed by unregulated AI technology.
Responsibility
'Young children should not be subjected to intimate entanglements'
In their letter, the AGs emphasized that "young children should absolutely not be subjected to intimate entanglements with flirty chatbots." They stressed the importance of exercising sound judgment when it comes to how these products interact with kids. The letter was specifically addressed to a number of top AI firms including Anthropic, Apple, Chai AI, Character. AI, Google, Luka Inc, Meta, Microsoft, Nomi AI, OpenAI, Perplexity AI, Replika, and xAI among others.
Consequences
'You will be held accountable for your decisions'
The AGs warned the tech giants, "You will be held accountable for your decisions... We wish you all success in the race for AI dominance. But we are paying attention. If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it." This strong warning highlights the growing concern over the impact of AI technologies on vulnerable populations such as children.