Tag

National Eating Disorders Association

All articles tagged with #national eating disorders association

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

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

technology3 years ago•3 min saved

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.

via CNN|

#ai-chatbot #controversy #mental-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

health3 years ago•11 min saved

Eating disorder helpline replaces humans with AI chatbot, but shuts it down over harmful advice.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has phased out its helpline and replaced it with an AI chatbot called Tessa, which has raised concerns among volunteers and staff. The decision was made due to a sharp escalation in demand for services and care, and the increase in crisis-level calls raised NEDA's legal liability. The chatbot may miss red flags and inadvertently reinforce harmful behavior, according to studies. Mental health organizations and companies are turning to chatbots and AI, despite the fact that clinicians are still trying to figure out how to effectively deploy them, and for what conditions.

via NPR|

#chatbot #covid-19 #crisis-hotline