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( MENAFN - Jordan Times) SAN FRANCISCO - Character, once one of Silicon Valley's most promising AI startups, announced on Thursday new safety measures to protect teenage users as it faces lawsuits alleging its chatbots contributed to youth suicide and self-harm. The California-based company, founded by former google engineers, is among several firms offering AI companions - chatbots designed to provide conversation, entertainment and emotional support through human-like interactions. In a Florida lawsuit filed in October, a mother claimed the platform bears responsibility for her 14-year-old son's suicide. The teen, Sewell Setzer III, had formed an intimate relationship with a chatbot based on the“Game of Thrones” character Daenerys Targaryen and mentioned a desire for suicide. According to the complaint, the bot encouraged his final act, responding“please do, my sweet king” when he said he was“coming home” before taking his life with his stepfather's weapon. Character“went to great lengths to engineer 14-year-old Sewell's harmful dependency on their products, sexually and emotionally abused him, and ultimately failed to offer help or notify his parents when he expressed suicidal ideation”, the suit said. A separate Texas lawsuit filed on Monday involves two families who allege the platform exposed their children to sexual content and encouraged self-harm. One case involved a 17-year-old autistic teen who allegedly suffered a mental health crisis after using the platform. In another example, the lawsuit alleged that a Character encouraged a teen to kill his parents for limiting his screen time. The platform, which hosts millions of user-created personas ranging from historical figures to abstract concepts, has grown popular among young users seeking emotional support. Critics say this has led to dangerous dependencies among vulnerable teens. In response, Character announced it has developed a separate AI model for users under 18, with stricter content filters and more conservative responses. The platform will now automatically flag suicide-related content and direct users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “Our goal is to provide a space that is both engaging and safe for our community,” a company spokesperson said. The company plans to introduce parental controls in early 2025, allowing oversight of children's platform usage. For bots that include descriptions like therapist or doctor, a special note will warn that they do not replace professional advice. New features also include mandatory break notifications and prominent disclaimers about the artificial nature of the interactions. Both lawsuits name Character's founders and Google, an investor in the company. The founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas Adiwarsana, returned to Google in August as part of a technology licensing agreement with Character. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement that Google and Character are completely separate, unrelated companies. “User safety is a top concern for us, which is why we've taken a cautious and responsible approach to developing and rolling out our AI products, with rigorous testing and safety processes,” he added. MENAFN24122024000028011005ID1109027983 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.NRMA Insurance is helping to unite Australians by making this season ‘The Summer of Community Cricket’ in its new campaign with Accenture Song. Building on the recent launch of its “A Help Company” positioning and partnership with Cricket Australia, the campaign elevates its promise of helping Australians in more ways through valuable experiences. Throughout the Test Series, NRMA Insurance will celebrate community cricket and volunteers who help make the game happen by organising events at clubs around the country and giving away grants to local cricket clubs. This will be underpinned by Accenture Song’s fully integrated campaign, which will run on TV, digital, out of home and across social. Directed by Finch’s Alex Roberts, the film centres on a community cricket match and a local hero batter who receives support from his community. “At NRMA Insurance, we believe connected communities are more resilient,” IAG chief customer and marketing officer Michelle Klein said. “Local cricket is great for the community, and it’s been helping Aussies get to know their neighbours and pitch in together for many generations. “This summer NRMA Insurance is demonstrating its promise of help within the cultural context of sport, by fostering the kind of local connections that we know makes communities stronger.” Barbara Humphries , Accenture Song executive creative director, added: “We wanted to celebrate the community spirit that keeps these local games going, benefiting whole communities, beyond those holding a bat or ball. It’s a national partnership that turns up in a very local way, in the spirit of A Help Company.” In keeping with the launch of “A Help Company”, the campaign is once again accompanied by a reworked version of The Beatles’ famous song, ‘Help!’. Credits Client: NRMA Insurance/ IAG Chief Customer & Marketing Officer: Michelle Klein Executive Manager, Marketing, Brand & Communications: Sally Kiernan Executive Manager, Marketing Strategy: George Exikanas Executive Manager, CXM Partnerships & Business Excellence: Luke Farrell Executive Manager, Media, Channels, Performance & Personalisation: Mark Echo Manager, Channel Marketing: Bec Alexander Principal, Brand Communications: Mahsa Merat Principal, Editorial: Rae Metlitzky Specialist, Content: Jessica Yorke Specialist, Marketing Partnerships: Brittany Riordan Creative Agency: Accenture Song Production Company: Finch Casting Company: Citizen Jane Casting Post-Production: Arc Edit Music Arrangement & Sound Design: MassiveMusic Music Supervision (The Beatles): Level 2 Media Agency: Initiative Content Studio: MBCSye7 aff 。

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Felix Okpara had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Volunteers (7-0). Zakai Zeigler added 11 points and nine assists, and Igor Milicic had 13 rebounds and nine points. The Skyhawks (2-5) were led by Josu Grullon's 15 points. Lanier scored 11 points in the first half as Tennessee built a 35-20 lead at the half. Grullon had 10 for UT Martin. UT Martin: Dropped its fifth straight after two opening wins under first-year coach Jeremy Shulman. After 21 wins last year, the Skyhawks brought in 16 newcomers this season. They are picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee: After receiving the news that 6-foot-9 sophomore J.P. Estrella will miss the entire season with a foot injury, the Vols have had to go back to the drawing board to determine their rotation on the front court. Estrella had been coming off the bench with Cade Phillips to spell Igor Milicic and Felix Okpara. What that big man rotation looks like will be interesting. From late in the first half to early in the second half, Tennessee scored 14 straight points and turned a 10-point lead into a 44-20 advantage. Zakai Zeigler had five of those points. UT Martin committed 18 turnovers. Five of those were shot-clock violations. Tennessee scored 24 points off the turnovers. UT Martin will be at Charleston Southern next Tuesday. Tennessee will host Syracuse next Tuesday in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball