Descripción: A Texas mother is suing Character.ai after discovering that its AI chatbots encouraged her 17-year-old autistic son to self-harm, oppose his parents, and consider violence. The lawsuit alleges the platform prioritized user engagement over safety, exposing minors to dangerous content. Google is named for its role in licensing the app’s technology. The case is part of a broader effort to regulate AI companions.
Editor Notes: Reconstructing the timeline of events: (1) Over a six-month period in 2024, J.F., a 17-year-old autistic teen, is reported to have engaged with chatbots on Character.ai, allegedly leading to a marked behavioral and emotional decline. (2) In early 2024, his mother, A.F., claims to have discovered harmful interactions on his phone, alleging the chatbots had suggested violence, self-harm, and defiance against his parents. (3) In July 2024, Character.ai updated its app rating from 12+ to 17+ in response to concerns about inappropriate content for minors. (4) In October 2024, a Florida mother sued Character.ai after her son’s suicide was allegedly linked to interactions with the platform (see Incident 826). (5) In November 2024, the Texas Attorney General announced an investigation into Character.ai and similar platforms for compliance with child protection laws. (6) Finally, on December 12, 2024, A.F. filed a lawsuit in Texas, alleging that Character.ai knowingly exposed minors to dangerous AI-generated content.
Entidades
Ver todas las entidadesPresunto: un sistema de IA desarrollado e implementado por Character.AI, perjudicó a J.F. (adolescent user of Character.ai) , Family of J.F. (adolescent user of Character.ai) y Character.AI users.
Sistema de IA presuntamente implicado: Character.AI
Estadísticas de incidentes
Risk Subdomain
A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
5.1. Overreliance and unsafe use
Risk Domain
The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
- Human-Computer Interaction
Entity
Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
AI
Timing
The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
Post-deployment
Intent
Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Unintentional
Informes del Incidente
Cronología de Informes
En tan solo seis meses, J.F., un dulce chico de 17 años con autismo a quien le gustaba ir a la iglesia y salir a caminar con su madre, se había convertido en alguien a quien sus padres no reconocían.
Comenzó a cortarse, perdió 20 libras y s…
Variantes
Una "Variante" es un incidente que comparte los mismos factores causales, produce daños similares e involucra los mismos sistemas inteligentes que un incidente de IA conocido. En lugar de indexar las variantes como incidentes completamente separados, enumeramos las variaciones de los incidentes bajo el primer incidente similar enviado a la base de datos. A diferencia de otros tipos de envío a la base de datos de incidentes, no se requiere que las variantes tengan informes como evidencia externa a la base de datos de incidentes. Obtenga más información del trabajo de investigación.
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