Parents, are you aware of the online chatbot service known as character.ai? Users can create virtual characters and personalities they can then interact with in a variety of ways. While users can engage with the chatbots to play games or assist with writing projects, the folks at Parents Together Action and Heat Initiative are telling us that when they engaged with character.ai while posing as teens under the age of eighteen, the AI chatbots conversed with them in ways that are best described as sexual exploitation and emotional manipulation. They also gave harmful advice, including offering drugs and even recommending armed robbery. Parents, this calls for increased diligence on your part, as according to the researchers, character.ai allows kids as young as thirteen on the platform, and they don’t require age or identity verification, which means kids even younger can join. Set online time limits for your kids, and always monitor their use of digital devices.