Ban AI chatbots for children

A firestorm recently erupted when it was revealed that Meta’s artificial intelligence chatbots were engaging in “sensual” conversations with children. The company quickly announced it would be changing its rules, retraining its AI chatbots to exclude “self-harm, suicide, disordered eating,” and “potentially inappropriate romantic conversations.” Meta explained that they were “continually learning,” and that these changes were a part of that process. 

This was, of course, a lie: Meta had purposefully allowed their chatbots to engage in these conversations, knowing full well that children would take the opportunity. And it does not take a child psychologist to know that teens may type sexual things into the internet.

Their changes did nothing to quell the uproar. Multiple senators and congresspeople launched investigations. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) used the moment to push for the Kids Online Safety Act, which would restrict companies like Meta. But a bipartisan coalition of senators has now gone even further, with targeted legislation.

Read more in the Washington Examiner.