Before Google Was Blamed for the Suicide of a Teen Chatbot User, Its Researchers Published a Paper Warning of Those Exact Dangers

Google is currently fighting two separate lawsuits that make ugly allegations about its AI efforts. Together, the suits allege that Google has provided immense support to a startup called Character.AI, which recklessly deployed chatbots that sexually and emotionally abused underage users, resulting in horrible outcomes ranging from self-harm to the suicide of a 14-year-old. They also argue that Google used Character.AI as an arms-length testing ground where it could quietly research the impact of human-like companion bots on the public, kids included. Despite shoveling $2.7 billion into Character.AI, Google has downplayed its ties to the startup, insisting in response to questions that "Google and Character.AI are completely separate, unrelated companies" and that user safety is always its top concern. But back in April 2024, about four months before its $2.7 billion cash infusion into Character.AI, Google's own researchers at its prestigious DeepMind AI lab published a paper warnin ... Read full article.