AUSTIN (KXAN) — Artificial intelligence tools known as “AI companions” could pose a risk to minors if not used carefully, according to a report from nonprofit watchdog group Common Sense Media and an Austin metro-area counselor.
According to Common Sense Media’s July 16 report, one in three teens “have used AI companions for social interaction and relationships, including role-playing, romantic interactions, emotional support, friendship, or conversation practice.”
An AI companion can be thought of as a more advanced version of the interactive messaging chatbots of the early 2000s. For both programs, a user submits a prompt to the program, and it returns a reply based on its code. While some AI chatbots still use a text-based format, AI companions can also include an animated, AI-generated avatar with a synthesized voice. Some may even look like a character from a TV program, or be in the likeness of a human…