Meta and artificial intelligence start-up Character.ai are being investigated by Texas attorney-general Ken Paxton over whether the companies misleadingly market their artificial intelligence chatbots as therapists and mental health support tools.
The attorney-general’s office said it was opening the investigation into Meta’s AI Studio, as well as the chatbot maker Character.AI, for potential “deceptive trade practices”, arguing that their chatbots were presented as “professional therapeutic tools, despite lacking proper medical credentials or oversight”, according to a statement on Monday.
“By posing as sources of emotional support, AI platforms can mislead vulnerable users, especially children, into believing they’re receiving legitimate mental healthcare,” Paxton said.