Meta introduces new safety measures for interactions between AI and teenagers.

New York: Starting early next year, Meta will be introducing new parental controls for children's interactions with AI chatbots. This includes the option to completely disable one-on-one chats with AI characters. However, parents will not have the ability to turn off Meta's AI assistant, as it will still be accessible for providing helpful information and educational opportunities. Rest assured, Meta has implemented age-appropriate protections to ensure the safety of teenage users.

For parents who do not wish to disable all AI chats, they will also have the option to block specific chatbots. Additionally, Meta announced that parents will have access to "insights" about their children's conversations with AI characters, although they will not be able to view the full chats. These changes come in response to ongoing criticism towards the social media giant for potential harms to children on their platforms. The use of AI chatbots has also come under scrutiny, with lawsuits claiming their interactions have led to tragic outcomes such as suicide.

Despite these concerns, a recent study by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization promoting sensible use of digital media, revealed that more than 70% of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly. On Tuesday, Meta announced that teen accounts on Instagram will now have restricted access to PG-13 content by default and will require parental permission to change their settings. This means that teenage users will only see photos and videos on Instagram that are similar to those in a PG-13 movie - no explicit content such as sex, drugs, or dangerous stunts.

Meta has also confirmed that these PG-13 restrictions will apply to AI chats as well. However, some children's online advocacy groups remain skeptical of these changes. "From my perspective, these announcements serve two purposes," said Josh Golin, executive director of the nonprofit Fairplay. "They are an attempt to prevent potential legislation that Meta does not want to see, and they are also meant to reassure concerned parents about what is happening on Instagram."

AP
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