The Federal Trade Commission is seeking information from Santa Monica-based Snap Inc. and other businesses that provide AI-powered chatbots on how the firms measure, test and monitor potentially negative impacts of the technology on children and teens, the agency announced Thursday.

AI chatbots can effectively mimic human characteristics, emotions and intentions, and generally are designed to communicate like a friend or confidant, which may prompt some users, especially children and teens, to trust and form relationships with chatbots.

The FTC says its inquiry seeks to understand what steps, if any, companies have taken to evaluate the safety of their chatbots when acting as companions, to limit the products’ use by and potential negative effects on children and teens, and to apprise us

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