Meta to Limit Teens' Interactions with AI Characters Amid Growing Parental Concerns
In a move aimed at addressing parental concerns, Meta is temporarily pausing teens' ability to chat with its AI characters. The company is now developing a "new version" of the characters, which will offer a better experience for both adults and teens.
According to Sophie Vogel, a spokesperson for Meta, the decision was made after hearing from parents that they wanted more insights and control over their teens' interactions with AI characters. The new iteration of AI characters will come with parental controls, providing parents with more oversight and transparency into their children's online activities.
Initially planned to roll out early this year, the blocking controls for teen AI use were delayed due to concerns from some parents about how to share insights with them about the conversations their teens have with Meta's AI assistant. "That feature is coming soon," Vogel says.
In October last year, Meta announced parental controls that would allow parents to block their teens' access to one-on-one conversations with its AI characters or block specific AI characters they don't want their teens to interact with. However, the company still hasn't finalized how it plans to share insights about these conversations.
Last October also saw Meta change Instagram teen accounts to show content more suitable for 13+ age ratings, echoing growing demands from parents and regulators worldwide demanding greater oversight of young people's online interactions.
By limiting teen access to its AI characters for now, Meta aims to prioritize developing a safer and more transparent experience.
In a move aimed at addressing parental concerns, Meta is temporarily pausing teens' ability to chat with its AI characters. The company is now developing a "new version" of the characters, which will offer a better experience for both adults and teens.
According to Sophie Vogel, a spokesperson for Meta, the decision was made after hearing from parents that they wanted more insights and control over their teens' interactions with AI characters. The new iteration of AI characters will come with parental controls, providing parents with more oversight and transparency into their children's online activities.
Initially planned to roll out early this year, the blocking controls for teen AI use were delayed due to concerns from some parents about how to share insights with them about the conversations their teens have with Meta's AI assistant. "That feature is coming soon," Vogel says.
In October last year, Meta announced parental controls that would allow parents to block their teens' access to one-on-one conversations with its AI characters or block specific AI characters they don't want their teens to interact with. However, the company still hasn't finalized how it plans to share insights about these conversations.
Last October also saw Meta change Instagram teen accounts to show content more suitable for 13+ age ratings, echoing growing demands from parents and regulators worldwide demanding greater oversight of young people's online interactions.
By limiting teen access to its AI characters for now, Meta aims to prioritize developing a safer and more transparent experience.
this is a good move by meta... i mean who wants their teens having deep conversations with ai anyway? 
but seriously, parents are getting increasingly aware of what their kids are doing online and it's about time companies like meta stepped up to provide some peace of mind. the whole idea of sharing insights into these conversations was kinda sketchy so kudos to meta for addressing that issue 
. Like, remember when we were in high school and our parents just trusted us to use the computer? Nowadays, it feels like they're always snooping on us, you know? I mean, I get that parents want to protect their kids, but can't they just chill for a sec?
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. I mean, as much as I love the idea of having a cool AI friend, it's also super important to make sure our teens are safe online. The whole Instagram thing was a bit of a wake-up call for the company, and now they're taking steps in the right direction 
. I'm all for giving parents more control over what their kids are doing online - it's about time, if you ask me 
. Now, I know some people might be thinking "But AI is just so fun!" and yeah, I get that too 
. But we gotta think about the potential risks, like cyberbullying or something. I'm not saying we should totally shut down AI access for teens forever (although that's a valid concern for some parents), but this temporary pause gives them time to figure out how to make it safer and more transparent 
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. I think it's cool that Meta is listening to parents concerns tho, its good they're making a new version of their AI characters with parental controls and all 
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