Tech Giants Release Information on AI Chatbots to Federal Trade Commission

The FTC is requiring Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, and others to reveal how they monitor chatbot risks for children and teens.

The Federal Trade Commission building in Washington on Dec. 8, 2024. Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun receiving information from the creators of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to report to the American people. 

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said during a Nov. 10 interview that his agency requested information from the major developers of chatbots that utilize AI, and responses have begun to come in.

Ferguson said his department is doing a 6(b) study, which is a non-enforcement-based industry study in which information is gathered about business practices. The studies are used to inform the public as well as the FTC’s own enforcement and policymakers’ decisions. 

On Sept. 11, the FTC announced the start of its inquiry into AI chatbots that are “acting as companions.” 

Seven companies were ordered to provide information on how the firms measure, test, and monitor the potentially negative effects of consumer-facing, AI-powered chatbot technology on children and teens.

“AI chatbots can effectively mimic human characteristics, emotions, and intentions, and generally are designed to communicate like a friend or confidant, which may prompt some users, especially children and teens, to trust and form relationships with chatbots,” the FTC said in a statement. 

Ferguson said, “Protecting kids online is a top priority for the Trump–Vance FTC, and so is fostering innovation in critical sectors of our economy.”

The agency is attempting to understand what steps, if any, companies have taken to understand how their chatbots are used\ and the potential negative effects they could have on children and teens. This will also help the agency understand possible risks associated with the products. 

The companies being asked to hand over documentation include Alphabet, the parent company of Google; Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook; OpenAI; social media platform Snap; and X.AI Corp.

At the time the inquiry was launched, Snap said in a statement that its My AI chatbot is “transparent and clear about its capabilities and limitations.”

“We share the FTC’s focus on ensuring the thoughtful development of generative AI, and look forward to working with the Commission on AI policy that bolsters U.S. innovation while protecting our community,” the company said in a statement.

The Epoch Times did not immediately receive a statement on the topic from the other companies listed.

Ferguson spoke on the possibility of additional regulation for AI, saying this inquiry and subsequent report could offer regulators the information needed to make the kind of legislation that will protect the public going forward.

During his Nov. 10 interview, Ferguson acknowledged that there are still big questions surrounding the advances in AI technology.

“AI is different. The people creating it don’t know really what it is. They don’t know which direction it’s going, and neither do we,” he said.

Ferguson said that if any regulating group comes up with rules for AI now, without understanding the full scope of its potential for harm, “by tomorrow, it will have lapped us.”

“We want to win the AI race against our adversaries,” he said. “But we have to continue protecting American families and especially children from the development of the technology.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.