FTC Starts Investigating AI Firms Over Their Chatbot Companions for Teens
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an investigation into several major tech companies, focusing on how their AI chatbots may affect children and teens who use them as companions. The agency confirmed that it has sent formal requests for information to Alphabet, the parent company of Google; Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook; Snap; Character Technologies; xAI; and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. According to the FTC, the purpose of the inquiry is to learn what measures these companies have put in place to ensure their chatbot systems are safe when interacting with young people. The commission also wants…