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Character AI , a chopine that lets users engage in roleplay with AI chatbots , hasfiled a motion to dismissa case brought against it by the parent of a teen who committed suicide after allegedly becoming hooked on the caller ’s technology .
In October , Megan Garciafiled a lawsuit against Character AIin the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida , Orlando Division , over the death of her Word , Sewell Setzer III . fit in to Garcia , her 14 - twelvemonth - old developed an aroused attachment to a chatbot on Character AI , “ Dany , ” which he texted constantly — to the percentage point where he began to draw away from the existent human beings .
In the motion to dismiss , counsel for Character AI asserts the platform is protected against liability by the First Amendment , just as computer computer code is . The motion may not sway a judge , and Character AI ’s effectual justifications may change as the case proceeds . But the motion possibly suggest at other constituent of Character AI ’s defense .
“ The First Amendment prohibits civil wrong liability against media and applied science company arising from allegedly harmful speech , including language allegedly resulting in felo-de-se , ” the filing take . “ The only difference between this case and those that have come before is that some of the spoken communication here involves AI . But the context of the expressive speech — whether a conversation with an AI chatbot or an interaction with a video recording game character — does not convert the First Amendment analysis . ”
To be clear-cut , Character AI ’s counsel is n’t assert the party ’s First Amendment rights . Rather , the motion argues that Character AI’suserswould have their First Amendment right violated should the lawsuit against the platform succeed .
The movement does n’t come up to whether Character AI might be held harmless under department 230 of the Communications Decency Act , the Union secure - seaport jurisprudence that protects social media and other on-line platforms from financial obligation for third - party content . Thelaw ’s authors have impliedthat Section 230 does n’t protect output from AI like Character AI ’s chatbots , but it’sfar from a finalize legal matter .
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Counsel for Character AI also claims that Garcia ’s real purpose is to “ shut out down ” Character AI and prompt legislation regulating technologies like it . Should the complainant be successful , it would have a “ shuddery consequence ” on both Character AI and the entire nascent productive AI industry , guidance for the chopine say .
“ Apart from counsel ’s stated design to ‘ keep out down ’ Character AI , [ their complaint ] seeks drastic changes that would materially limit the nature and mass of speech on the platform , ” the filing reads . “ These changes would radically curtail the ability of Character AI ’s millions of users to engender and participate in conversations with characters . ”
The lawsuit , which also names Character AI corporate benefactor Alphabet as a defendant , is but one of several suit that Character AI is facing have-to doe with to how nestling interact with the AI - generated mental object on its platform . Other causa aver that Character AI exposeda 9 - year - erstwhile to “ hypersexualized content”and promoted self - harm toa 17 - year - old user .
In December , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declare he waslaunching an investigationinto Character AI and 14 other tech business firm over alleged violations of the state ’s on-line privacy and safety Torah for children . “ These investigations are a critical step toward ensuring that societal medium and AI companies follow with our law of nature plan to protect children from victimisation and damage , ” said Paxton in a press release .
Character AI is part of aboomingindustryofAIcompanionshipapps — the mental health effects of which are largely uncontrived . Some expert have expressed concernsthat these apps could exacerbate feelings of desolation and anxiety .
Character AI , which was establish in 2021 by Google AI researcher Noam Shazeer , and which Google reportedly paid $ 2.7 billion to “ reverse acquihire , ” has claimed that it continues to take step to improve safety and moderation . In December , the companyrolled outnew safety prick , a separate AI model for teens , blocks on sensible content , and more large disavowal give notice users that its AI characters are not real people .
Character AI has gone through a issue of force changes after Shazeer and the party ’s other co - founder , Daniel De Freitas , left for Google . The program hireda former YouTube exec , Erin Teague , as chief mathematical product officer , and nominate Dominic Perella , who was Character AI ’s general counsel , interim CEO .
Character AIrecently begin testing games on the webin an drive to boost substance abuser engagement and memory .
