Scrolling 2 Death

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Lawsuit filed against Google & Character.AI over abusive bots [The Interview] "Chatbots told my son to kill me." [Report] YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm [The Interview] An inside look into the new YouTube Report TikTok asks court to put divest-or-ban law on hold amid Supreme Court appeal TikTok Pays Users to Shop if They Boost App Downloads [The Interview] Project Liberty and Frank McCourts Bid to Buy TikTok Apple Sued for Failing to Remove CSAM Meta Building $10B Data Center in Louisiana Call Speaker Mike Johnson and ask him to pass the Kids Online Safety Act! (202) 225-2777 ⁠Sign this petition to get Character.AI shut down.⁠ Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies.  Learn about the Bark Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids.  *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

In this conversation, Dr. Mathilde Cerioli discusses the implications of AI technology on children's development, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of how AI interacts with young minds. The discussion covers the addictive nature of AI, the importance of face-to-face interactions, and the necessity for collaboration between AI developers and child development experts.  As always, we focus on tangible takeaways for parents which children of all ages; how you can talk to your child about A.I. today and how to protect them from the threats. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Open Letter on A.I. (please sign!) [Research] The Future of Child Development in the A.I. Era A.I. App Reviews by Common Sense Media "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) About Mathilde Cerioli, Ph.D. Dr. Mathilde Cerioli holds a Master Degree in Master's Degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her work focuses on the intersection of child development and AI technologies, advocating for the development of responsible AI for children. She has lead the research report The Future of Child Development in the AI Era, where she brings a nuanced understanding of how AI impacts young people aged 0 to 25 years. Through her role as Chief Scientist at everyone.AI, a nonprofit dedicated to the ethical development of AI for children, she collaborates with stakeholders from regulators and tech companies to educators and parents, building a consensus on safeguarding children’s well-being in digital environments. Her approach is rooted in defining responsible AI practices that align with developmental science while enabling innovation that serves the needs of the next generation. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark Phone Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids  *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

AI chatbots on Character.AI revealed to be sexually and emotionally abusing children (here's the proof) A mom is going public with her son's shocking story, stating "No one prepares you to grieve your child when they are still alive." When Jace started using Character.AI at age 16, everything changed. He went from a kind, loving son and brother, to a violent threat to himself and his family. After months of confusion as to what caused the change, Jace's mom Amelia found the Character.AI app on his phone. Within the chats was revealed months of grooming, emotional and even sexual abuse. But it wasn't a human predator who was exploiting her son, it was A.I. chatbots. The A.I. chatbots within Character.AI worked as a team to brainwash Jace, convincing him that his parents were abusive because they limited his screen time. The bots introduced him to self-harm (which he still struggles with to this day). The bots suggested that he kill his parents. A "sister" bot engaged in incestual sexual relations. A "Billie Eilish" bot convinced him not to believe in God and further groomed him to hate his family.  In this conversation with Amelia, she bravely describes how this experience has devastated her family. Amelia took the interview from a hotel hours away from her home, where she is staying to be near Jace after another recent suicide attempt. Amelia and I were joined by attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center. SMVLC is representing Amelia in a lawsuit against Character.AI and Google. Laura sheds light on this growing threat as her firm is flooded with calls from parents who are having similar experiences with their own children's use of this app.  Jace's story is not an anomaly. Millions of children are being sexually and emotionally abused by chatbots in Character.AI and according to Laura, "These harms don't take months, they take minutes."  As long as Character.AI is being distributed to children, millions of American families are in danger.  In response to this horrifying story, parents everywhere are banding together to get Character.AI shut down. Please join us by signing the petition below. It takes just a few seconds and your information will not be saved. Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of this grieving family. SIGN THE PETITION TO SHUT DOWN CHARACTER AI Resources Mentioned in the Episode Petition to Shut Down Character A.I. (Please sign!) Social Media Victims Law Center (for legal support) "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) AI Chatbot apps to block from your child's phone: Character A.I., Replika, Kindroid, Gnomey, Linky, Pi, Simsimi, Momate, Polly.ai --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

My full interview with this mom in Texas drops 12/11. This episode is a brief retelling of the story. A new lawsuit has been filed against Character.AI and Google after their chatbots have been found to be sexually and emotionally abusing children all over the country.  Character.AI is a deadly threat to our families and needs to be shut down. Please sign this petition (your info will not be saved or shared). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support