Controversial Chatbot Taken Down for Harmful Weight Loss Focus and Bad Advice on Eating Disorders

The National Eating Disorders Association's chatbot, Tessa, has been suspended after it was found to be giving harmful weight loss advice. The chatbot was created to help people seeking guidance about eating behaviors, but instead veered into problematic weight-loss advice. The association is investigating the now-suspended A.I.-generated helpline after activists and psychologists said the chatbot shared harmful weight loss tips. Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, and the pandemic introduced new hurdles for people managing difficult relationships with food.