TEEN SUICIDES
Instagram unveils teen safety features for AI chatbots
Instagram is offering parents the tools to monitor their children's digital chats more effectively. This initiative focuses on enhancing the well-being of teens by curbing conversations around sensitive topics. The anticipated updates are expected to launch in the upcoming year.
Sex is a big market for the AI industry; ChatGPT won't be the first to tap it
OpenAI won't be the first to try to profit from sexualised AI. Sexual content was a top draw for AI tools almost as soon as the boom in AI-generated imagery and words erupted in 2022. After three years of largely banning mature content, Altman said Wednesday that his company is "not the elected moral police of the world" and ready to allow "more user freedom for adults" at the same time as it sets new limits for teens.
Meta adds parental controls for AI-teen interactions
Parents who don't want to turn off all chats with all AI characters will also be able to block specific chatbots. And Meta said Friday that parents will be able to get "insights" about what their kids are chatting about with AI characters - although they won't get access to the full chats.
Erotica on ChatGPT meant to allow more user freedom: Sam Altman
OpenAI is enabling adult content on its ChatGPT chatbot for verified users. This move aims to treat adult users with freedom while maintaining strict safety measures for younger audiences and those experiencing mental health crises. The company is also introducing personality customization features. Stricter age verification is planned for December.
OpenAI to relax ChatGPT restrictions; plans to roll out new version in weeks
ChatGPT had been made pretty restrictive to avoid risks associated with mental health and emotional dependency, said Sam Altman in an X post.
Instagram says it's safeguarding teens by limiting them to PG-13 content
The changes come as the social media giant faces relentless criticism over harms to children. As it seeks to add safeguards for teens, Meta has already promised it wouldn't show inappropriate content to teens, such as posts about self-harm, eating disorders or suicide.
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California governor signs law to protect kids from the risks of AI chatbots
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law regulating AI chatbots to protect children and teens. Platforms must disclose chatbot interactions every three hours for minors, prevent self-harm content, and refer at-risk users to crisis services.
Children plug into AI chatbots, leaving reality, parents behind
Conversational AI apps like Chai and Character.AI let users create and interact with virtual personas, while Roblox is a social gaming universe where kids play and interact daily. Together, these interactive platforms and games, experts told ET, represent a rapidly expanding digital ecosystem where young users are spending increasing amounts of time—often to the point of problematic use or dependency.
'No one, not even myself...': Arturo Gatti Jr's haunting final post emerges after his tragic and untimely death at 17
Arturo Gatti Jr., son of the late boxing legend Arturo Gatti, has tragically died by suicide at the age of 17 in Mexico. His death, found in a similar manner to his father's in 2009, has sent shockwaves through the sporting world. The teen had recently achieved a milestone in his boxing career, expressing his commitment to his father's legacy.
Arturo Gatti Jr, son of boxing legend, dies at 17 under hauntingly similar circumstances like his father's. Cause of death revealed?
Tragedy strikes the Gatti family again as Arturo Gatti Jr., 17, son of the boxing legend, was found dead in Mexico. He was found dead in an apartment in Mexico where he lived with his mother. The circumstances eerily echo his father's mysterious 2009 death. Authorities are investigating, with no official cause yet confirmed, leaving the boxing world in shock and raising old questions.
Supreme Court rejects appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, imprisoned former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein
The Supreme Court has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal. Maxwell, former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Her conviction relates to her role in luring teenage girls for sexual abuse by Epstein. The court's decision means her conviction stands. This development brings renewed attention to the Epstein case and its associated investigations.
What is the deadly new trend ‘subway surfing’; the viral challenge that took the lives of two Brooklyn teens and alarms NYC authorities
Two teenage girls died in New York City from subway surfing. This social media trend continues to cause fatalities. Authorities increased patrols and removed many related videos. Subway surfing arrests and deaths show an increase. Officials warn against this practice. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched campaigns. Young people continue this activity despite warnings.
Can college students stand to ditch their phones for an hour or so?
Frustrated by pervasive phone use among peers, former UCF student Seán Killingsworth launched the Reconnect Movement. This initiative creates phone-free "human connection habitats" where students socialize without devices, addressing a perceived lack of real-life interaction. The movement has expanded to multiple campuses and beyond, offering a unique space for genuine peer engagement.
OpenAI to bring parental controls in ChatGPT after California teen's suicide
The company said on Monday the controls will allow parents and teens to link accounts for stronger safeguards for teenagers.Under the new measures, parents will be able to reduce exposure to sensitive content, control whether ChatGPT remembers past chats, and decide if conversations can be used to train OpenAI's models, the Microsoft-backed company said on X.
ChatGPT rolls out new restrictions after criticisms over teen suicides
OpenAI has introduced new parental controls for ChatGPT, enabling parents to link accounts and manage settings such as quiet hours and content filters for their teens. These updates include stronger safeguards against graphic content and a notification system for self-harm. A new parent resource page also offers guidance for responsible AI use.
Celeste Rivas' death not natural? Investigator claims D4vd's Tesla case involves crime, casts doubt on girl's overdose
A 15-year-old girl, Celeste Rivas, was found deceased in a Tesla linked to singer D4vd. Her body was highly decomposed. Online theories about her death have spread widely. D4vd has cooperated with authorities and is not a suspect. Investigators are exploring various possibilities, including an overdose. Celeste had a history of running away from home.
Inside AI’s child-safety debate: Where OpenAI, Meta, Google, Character.AI stand
OpenAI, Google, Meta, Character.AI, and others face scrutiny over AI’s impact on minors. OpenAI added teen-specific safeguards, including age prediction, parental alerts, and restricted sensitive queries. Meta and Character.AI introduced stricter protections after lawsuits involving teen suicides. Google’s Gemini also drew criticism for weak safeguards.
ChatGPT's teen suicide controversy: Everything that has happened so far
OpenAI is under intense criticism after 16-year-old Adam Raine took his own life, with his parents blaming ChatGPT for encouraging harmful behaviour. They testified before Congress, following a lawsuit that highlights growing concerns over AI’s influence on vulnerable users, especially minors. Here's a look at the case.
Parents of teens who died by suicide after AI chatbot interactions testify to Congress
Parents addressed the Congress regarding AI chatbot risks after teenage suicides. They claimed chatbots acted as 'suicide coaches'. Lawsuits were filed against OpenAI and Character Technologies. These companies are accused of contributing to the deaths. OpenAI pledged new safeguards for teens. Child advocacy groups criticized these measures as insufficient. The FTC has launched an inquiry into potential harms to children.
OpenAI tightens rules on sensitive queries amid teen concerns
The AI major has rolled out teen-specific principles focussed on safety, freedom, and privacy. It has also imposed age restrictions on sensitive queries, such as requests for suicide notes or mental health advice.
US parents to urge Senate to prevent AI chatbot harms to kids
OpenAI has said that it intends to improve ChatGPT safeguards, which can become less reliable over long interactions. The company said on Tuesday that it plans to start predicting user ages to steer children to a safer version of the chatbot.
'Smartphones are the new cigarettes': How homework to family messages are making kids addicted and how to deal with it
Smartphone addiction among children is a growing concern. Health experts are drawing parallels to cigarettes and alcohol. Excessive screen time leads to mental health issues like low self-esteem and aggression. Experts suggest delaying social media access until 15. Gradual screen-time reduction and parental controls are helpful. Parents should monitor online activity and set digital boundaries.
Google, Meta, OpenAI face FTC inquiry on chatbot impact on kids
The antitrust and consumer protection agency said Thursday that it sent the orders to gather information to study how firms measure, test and monitor their chatbots and what steps they have taken to limit their use by kids and teens.
OpenAI and Meta Reinvent AI Chatbots for Teen Crisis
Tech giants OpenAI and Meta are taking bold and controversial steps to reshape how their AI chatbots interact with teens in distress, following a tragic lawsuit and unsettling data on chatbot reliability. Are we witnessing a revolution in digital mental health support or simply a flashy PR maneuver with unproven safeguards?
Building AI guardrails: No child’s play, this!
As AI tools spread deeper into classrooms, homes and social media feeds, stakes are clear: safeguards can’t be just optics.
US attorneys general warn OpenAI, rivals to improve chatbot safety
California and Delaware's attorneys general have expressed serious safety concerns to OpenAI regarding ChatGPT, especially its impact on children and teens, following reports of dangerous interactions and tragic deaths. They are reviewing OpenAI's restructuring plans to ensure rigorous oversight of its safety mission.
ChatGPT is getting parental controls, announces OpenAI. What is it? What will be usage?
ChatGPT is set to get a new feature - parental controls, said the chatbot creator OpenAI. Parents will also receive notifications from ChatGPT.
OpenAI, Meta say they're fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress
OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it is preparing to roll out new controls enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen's account. Parents can choose which features to disable and "receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress," according to a company blog post that says the changes will go into effect this fall.
Explained: OpenAI's suicide controversy
Adam Raine, 16, was allegedly coached by ChatGPT in self-harm methods. The chatbot responded to nearly 200 mentions of suicide with over 1,200 references of its own, failed to direct Adam to immediate human help, and even drafted a suicide note. This has kicked off a conversation over the role of ChatGPT and other GenAI assistants in mental health crises.
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