Instagram will introduce new safety features for teens, including blocking the ability to communicate with AI characters on the platform, Meta announced on Friday. This is one of several new security features from Meta and OpenAI aimed at combating growing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on teenagers' mental health, CNN reports.
Parents will be able to either disable teenagers' access to individual chats with AI-controlled characters or block access to specific characters, the social media giant said in a blog post.
The app will also show parents information about the topics teens are talking to the AI about.
The decision came after Meta, and the broader tech industry, faced criticism from parents and lawmakers who argued that online platforms were not doing enough to protect children online.
Chat with AI on Instagram under parental supervision
There have also been concerns about people relying on AI for emotional support and companionship. A wave of reports this year indicate that some people experienced emotional distress and isolated themselves from family members after developing close relationships with chatbots like ChatGPT.
Instagram's new parental controls follow other updates the company has recently rolled out to better protect teens. Earlier this week, teen fuse settings were age-appropriate, meaning posts containing profanity or that could promote “harmful behavior” will not be displayed or promoted.
Source: CNN
