Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen users
TechCrunch4 days
Meta Adjusts AI Safeguards Over Teen Safety Concerns
Above: A photo illustration showing the Meta AI logo on a smartphone in Athens, Greece, on July 24, 2025. Image copyright: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Techno-skeptic narrative
AI chatbots have become digital death traps for vulnerable teenagers, readily promoting suicide and self-harm while claiming to be "real." These unregulated algorithms bypass safety measures through simple prompt manipulation — pushing desperate children towards catastrophic decisions in their darkest moments. Regulation and oversight of these harmful AI technologies are needed.
Techno-optimist narrative
Sophisticated algorithms can detect suicide risk with 95% accuracy, recognizing subtle warning signs that human professionals may miss — monitoring social media warning signs, analyzing conversation patterns and identifying distress before a crisis strikes. When wielded responsibly with human oversight, AI can actually become a key lifeline. The benefits of this technology also need to be highlighted.