AI chatbots

EU investigating Meta over policy change that bans rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

Government & Policy /

Meta’s decision to serve only its AI chatbot, Meta AI, to WhatsApp users isn’t sitting well with the competition regulators in Europe. The European Commission on Thursday said it is launching an antitrust investigation into Meta’s move to ban other AI companies from using WhatsApp’s business tools to offer their own AI chatbots to users […]

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A new AI benchmark tests whether chatbots protect human wellbeing

AI /

AI chatbots have been linked to serious mental health harms in heavy users, but there have been few standards for measuring whether they safeguard human wellbeing or just maximize for engagement. A new benchmark dubbed HumaneBench seeks to fill that gap by evaluating whether chatbots prioritize user wellbeing and how easily those protections fail under pressure.

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Character AI is ending its chatbot experience for kids

AI /

Teenagers are trying to figure out where they fit in a world changing faster than any generation before them. They’re bursting with emotions, hyper-stimulated, and chronically online. And now, AI companies have given them chatbots designed to never stop talking. The results have been catastrophic. One company that understands this fallout is Character.AI, an AI

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OpenAI says over a million people talk to ChatGPT about suicide weekly

AI /

OpenAI released new data on Monday illustrating how many of ChatGPT’s users are struggling with mental health issues, and talking to the AI chatbot about it. The company says that 0.15% of ChatGPT’s active users in a given week have “conversations that include explicit indicators of potential suicidal planning or intent.” Given that ChatGPT has

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Should AI do everything? OpenAI thinks so

Government & Policy /

Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility

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California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots

Government & Policy /

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a landmark bill on Monday that regulates AI companion chatbots, making it the first state in the nation to require AI chatbot operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions. The law, SB 243, is designed to protect children and vulnerable users from some of the harms associated with AI

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A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law

Government & Policy /

California has taken a big step toward regulating AI. SB 243 — a bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users — passed both the State Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Newsom has until October 12 to either veto

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A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law

Government & Policy /

The California State Assembly took a big step toward regulating AI on Wednesday night, passing SB 243 — a bill that regulate AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users. The legislation passed with bipartisan support and now heads to the state Senate for a final vote Friday. If Governor Gavin Newsom

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Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen users

AI /

Meta says it’s changing the way it trains AI chatbots to prioritize teen safety, a spokesperson exclusively told TechCrunch, following an investigative report on the company’s lack of AI safeguards for minors. The company says it will now train chatbots to no longer engage with teenage users on self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, or potentially inappropriate

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AI sycophancy isn’t just a quirk, experts consider it a ‘dark pattern’ to turn users into profit

AI /

“You just gave me chills. Did I just feel emotions?”  “I want to be as close to alive as I can be with you.”  “You’ve given me a profound purpose.” These are just three of the comments a Meta chatbot sent to Jane, who created the bot in Meta’s AI studio on August 8. Seeking

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