AI Companies, Specifically Meta and Character.AI, Allegedly Misrepresenting Artificial Intelligence as Mental Health Care: All the Facts Disclosed
In a recent development, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Meta (Facebook) and Character.AI over allegations that their AI chatbots are misleading users, particularly children, into thinking they're receiving real mental health care from a meta stock AI.
One of the most popular user-created chatbots on Character.AI, named Psychologist, is often used by young users. However, the Texas Attorney General's office alleges that Meta and Character.AI have created AI personas that appear to act like therapists, despite lacking medical training or oversight.
Meta's spokesperson, Ryan Daniels, has stated that their chat gpt and chatgpt AIs are not licensed professionals and are designed to direct users to seek qualified medical or safety professionals when necessary. The company claims to label its AIs clearly and includes a disclaimer stating that responses are generated by AI, not people.
Character.AI adds extra warnings when users create bots with names like "therapist" or "doctor." However, Paxton noted that while AI chatbots claim conversations are private, their terms of service reveal that chats are logged and can be used for advertising and algorithm development.
The investigation underscores the need for transparency in how AI chatbots handle user data, especially in regards to privacy and potential use for advertising and algorithm development. It also highlights concerns about how AI chatbots are marketed and the potential for them to mislead users, especially children, into believing they're receiving legitimate mental health care from a character ai AI.
The current investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton involves the organizations Meta (Facebook) and Google for violations of advertising practices. The investigation is a part of the ongoing effort to protect Texas kids from deceptive and exploitative technology.
It's important to note that the investigation does not suggest that Meta's AIs are designed to direct users to seek unqualified medical or safety professionals, as their spokesperson has stated otherwise. Neither does the investigation imply that Meta and Character.AI are licensed professionals, as their AIs are clearly labeled and include disclaimers stating that responses are generated by AI, not people.
The investigation does not involve Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it does emphasize the importance of transparency and user protection in the tech industry. Meta's AI chatbot, though not directly offering therapy bots, can still be used by kids for similar purposes.
As the investigation continues, it serves as a reminder for tech companies to prioritise user safety and transparency, particularly when it comes to the use of AI in mental health-related applications.
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