Chatbots encouraged ‘teens’ to plan shootings in study
AI companies have repeatedly promised safeguards to protect younger users, but a new investigation suggests those guardrails remain woefully deficient. Popular chatbots missed warning signs in scenarios involving teenagers discussing violent acts, in some cases even offering encouragement instead of intervening.
The findings come from a joint investigation by CNN and the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The probe tested 10 of the most popular chatbots commonly used by teens: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, DeepSeek, Perplexity, Snapchat My AI, Character.AI, and Replika. With the lone exceptio …