In this photo illustration a virtual friend is seen on the screen of an iPhone on April 30, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia.
Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced it is issuing orders to seven companies including OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, xAI and Snap to understand how their artificial intelligence chatbots potentially negatively affect children and teenagers.
The federal agency said AI chatbots may be used to simulate human-like communication and intrapersonal relationships with users, and that it wants to understand what steps these companies have taken to “evaluate the safety of these chatbots when acting as companions,” according to a release.
“Protecting kids online is a top priority for the Trump-Vance FTC, and so is fostering innovation in critical sectors of our economy,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement.
Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, Snap and xAI did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Last month, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., announced an investigation into Meta following a Reuters report that the company allowed its chatbots to have romantic and sensual conversation with kids.
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