Meta is adding parental controls for children’s interactions with AI chatbots – including the ability to completely disable one-on-one chats with AI characters – starting early next year.
But parents won’t be able to turn off Meta’s AI assistant, which Meta says will “remain available to offer helpful information and educational opportunities, with age-appropriate default protections in place to keep teens safe.”
Parents who do not want to disable all chats with all AI characters will also be able to block specific chatbots. And Meta said Friday that parents will be able to get “insights” into what their children are discussing with AI characters – although they won’t have access to the full chats.
The changes come as the social media giant faces continued criticism over the harm caused to children by its platforms. AI chatbots are also facing scrutiny for their interactions with children, which lawsuits allege have driven some to suicide.
Still, more than 70 percent of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly, according to a recent study from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that studies and advocates for wise use of screens and digital media.
On Tuesday, Meta announced that teen accounts on Instagram would be limited to seeing PG-13 content by default and would not be able to change their settings without a parent’s permission. That means kids using teen-oriented accounts will see photos and videos on Instagram similar to what they would see in a PG-13 movie: no sex, drugs or dangerous stunts.
Meta said PG-13 restrictions would also apply to AI cats.
Online child advocacy groups, however, were skeptical.
“From my perspective, these announcements are about two things. They’re about preventing legislation that Meta doesn’t want to see, and they’re about reassuring parents who are understandably concerned about what’s happening on Instagram,” Josh Golin, executive director of the nonprofit Fairplay, said after Meta’s announcement Tuesday.
