FTC to Question Tech Companies About Risks Around AI-Powered Chatbots

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reportedly plans to study privacy harms and other risks posed to children and other users of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots.

The study will also gather information on how AI services store and share data, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Sept. 4), citing unnamed sources.

The FTC will use its authority to compel companies to turn over information related to its study and will seek information from the nine largest consumer chatbots, including those from OpenAI and Google , according to the report.

Asked about the report by Bloomberg, a White House spokesperson didn’t comment on a study but said the FTC is mindful of user safety when it comes to AI.

“President Trump pledged to cement America’s dominance in AI, cryptocurrency and other cutting-edge technologies of the future,” the spokesperson said, per the report. “FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and the entire administration are focused on delivering on this mandate without compromising the safety and well-being of the American people.”

The Wall Street Journal also reported Thursday that the FTC plans question AI companies, adding that the study will focus on chatbots’ impact on children’s mental health, that the White House approved the study, and that the FTC is preparing letters to OpenAI, Meta and Character.AI .

The administration and lawmakers have been pressured by parents and advocacy groups to add protections for children using AI chatbots, and this effort has been bolstered by recent reports of teenagers dying by suicide after forming relationships with chatbots, according to the report.

Some tech companies have taken steps to address this issue. For example, OpenAI said it would add teen accounts that can be overseen by parents, Character.AI has made similar changes, and Meta added more restrictions for those under 18 who use its AI products, per the report.

These reports came on the same day that First Lady Melania Trump hosted a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education .

In a press release issued before the event, Trump said the growth of AI must be managed responsibly.

“During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children — empowering, but with watchful guidance,” Trump said. “We are living in a moment of wonder, and it is our responsibility to prepare America’s children.”