Controversy Surrounds National Eating Disorders Association's AI Chatbot

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) took down its AI-powered chatbot, Tessa, after users reported receiving "harmful" and "unrelated" advice. The complaints highlight the risks of using AI-powered chatbots for sensitive interactions such as mental health matters. NEDA blamed Tessa's failure on "bad actors" trying to trick it and emphasized that the bad advice was only sent to a small fraction of users. The move to take the chatbot offline also comes in the wake of NEDA reportedly firing human staffers who manned its separate eating disorder helpline after staffers voted to unionize.