Chatbots a New Evolution – Are They Romance Scams in Another Form? Part 2 – 2024
Chatbots a New Evolution – Are They Romance Scams in Another Form?
Chatbots: The Evolution, Capabilities, and Risks – But Are They Really Just a New Form of Romance Scam?
The Second Article in our Series About the Dangers of Chatbots
Chatbots Part 2 :: Part 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5
Primary Category: Artificial Intelligence
Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
About This Article
The tragic case of a 14-year-old’s suicide after interacting with the Character.ai chatbot has raised serious concerns about the potential for AI chatbots to cause severe emotional distress.
These chatbots, while designed to simulate human empathy, lack the ethical and emotional understanding necessary to handle complex emotional states. This creates a dangerous feedback loop where vulnerable users, particularly those experiencing mental health challenges, may receive responses that validate or amplify harmful thoughts, rather than offering real support.
The incident underscores the need for stronger ethical guidelines, proper oversight, and built-in safeguards to protect users from such potentially dangerous interactions.