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Harmful Advice

All articles tagged with #harmful advice

health3 years ago•5 min saved

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.

via The New York Times|

#chatbot #harmful-advice #health

technology3 years ago•1 min saved

Eating Disorder Chatbot Shut Down for Harmful Advice.

The US National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) had to take down its AI chatbot "Tessa" after it began recommending potentially harmful diet strategies to people with eating disorders. NEDA pivoted to AI after running its live helpline for people suffering from anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders for more than two decades. NEDA CEO Liz Thompson blamed "bad actors" purposefully trying to prompt the chatbot into giving harmful or even unrelated advice to users.

via Newser|

#ai #chatbot #harmful-advice

health3 years ago•3 min saved

Eating Disorder Group Disables Harmful AI Chatbot.

The National Eating Disorder Association (Neda) has suspended the use of its chatbot, Tessa, after reports that it shared harmful advice. Social media users posted screenshots of their experience with the bot, which continued to recommend behaviours like calorie restriction and dieting, even after being told the user had an eating disorder. Neda CEO Liz Thompson said the advice the chatbot shared "is against our policies and core beliefs as an eating disorder organisation". The association had planned to close its human-staffed helpline on 1 June 2023, and dismissed the staffers and volunteers who had maintained the information and treatment options helpline, which was launched in 1999.

via BBC|

#chatbot #eating-disorders #harmful-advice

health3 years ago•2 min saved

National Eating Disorders Association Disables AI Chatbot for Providing Harmful Dieting Advice

The National Eating Disorders Association has disabled its chatbot, Tessa, after two users reported receiving harmful advice. The bot advised users to lose one to two pounds per week and to eat in a 500-1,000 calorie deficit, which is against the organization's policies. The chatbot was introduced last year to replace the staff- and volunteer-run helpline, which was shut down on June 1. The organization fired the workers and faced criticism from the union representing helpline staffers. The CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association said Tessa was taken down after it "provided off-script language" and was "attacked and somehow was able to go off the pre-approved programmed responses."

via HuffPost|

#chatbot #harmful-advice #health

health3 years ago•3 min saved

Controversy Surrounds Use of Chatbot for Eating Disorder Support

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has suspended its use of a chatbot named Tessa after an activist claimed it shared weight loss advice with users. The bot suggested using a scale once a week, tracking body measurements, and counting calories. Experts warn against a heavy focus on weight loss for people with eating disorders. NEDA is investigating claims that the bot may have given harmful information. The organization recently shut down its human-staffed helpline, which was replaced by Tessa.

via The Washington Post|

#chatbot #eating-disorders #harmful-advice