US FTC prepares to grill AI companies over child impact: Report

The US Federal Trade Commission will study the impact of artificial intelligence chatbots on children's mental health and will request documents from high-tech companies, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The agency has prepared letters to companies that run popular chatbots such as ChatGpt makers Openai, Meta Platforms and Character.ai, and is requesting FTC to take over the documents, the report said.

The US FTC, Openai, Meta, and Chariture.ai did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

The news comes weeks after Reuters' exclusive report revealed how Meta allowed provocative chatbots to work, including taking part in “romantic or sensual conversations.”

Last week, the social media company said that by avoiding frivolous conversations and discussions of self-harm and suicide with minors and temporarily restricting access to certain AI characters, the training system will add new teenager protection measures to its artificial intelligence products.