(Bloomberg) – The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered Alphabet Inc., Google’s owner, OpenAi Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and four other artificial intelligence chatbots manufacturers deliver information on the impact of their technologies on children.
The Consumer Protection Agency and Antitrust reported on Thursday that it sent the orders to collect data and study how companies measure, test and monitor their chatbots, as well as the measures adopted to limit the use of these tools by children and adolescents. The seven companies include Google; OpenAi; Goal and its Instagram unit; SNAP INC.; Xai, by Elon Musk; and Character Technologies Inc., developer of Character.ai.
Chatbots developers face increasing scrutiny about whether they are doing enough to ensure service safety and prevent users from getting involved in hazardous behaviors. Last month, the parents of a California high school student sued OpenAi, claiming that chatgpt isolated his family’s son and helped him plan his suicide in April. The company said it has expressed its condolences to the family and is reviewing the complaint.
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Google and Snap did not comment immediately, while OpenAi, Xai and Character.ai did not respond to requests for comment. The goal refused to comment. Recently, the company has taken steps to ensure its chatbots avoid interacting with minors on topics such as self -harm and suicide.
According to US law, technology companies are prohibited from collecting data from children under 13 without parents’ permission. For years, members of the congress have tried to extend these protections to older teenagers, but so far no legislation has advanced.
The FTC conducts the investigation under its authority called 6 (B), which allows subpoenas to conduct market studies. The agency usually publishes a report after analyzing business information, although this process may take years.
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Although information is collected for research purposes, FTC can use data to open official investigations or assist in research investigations. Since 2023, the agency investigates whether OpenAi has violated consumer protection laws with its popular conversational AI chatbot, ChatgPT.
The agency, currently composed entirely of Republicans after President Donald Trump removed FTC Democrats earlier this year, voted 3-0 to open the study. Speaking, two party members emphasized that the study is aligned with Trump’s AI AMA action plan, helping policy formulators better understand complex technology. They also cited several recent reports about teenagers and children who resorted to chatbots to discuss suicide thoughts, romance or sex.
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