John Oliver on Sunday sounded the alarm on AI chatbots during his show "Last Week Tonight." The host warned that a lack of guardrails across the industry has already led to devastating consequences for some users, who have allegedly been encouraged to have thoughts of suicide and experienced delusional thinking.
AI Researcher's Damning Assessment
Oliver pointed to one AI researcher's assessment as the perfect summary: "I think we may actually be at literally the worst moment in AI history because we have the weakest guardrails right now. We have the weakest understanding of what they do and yet there's so much enthusiasm that there's a widespread adoption. It's a little bit like the earliest days of airplanes. The worst day to be on an intercontinental plane would have been the first day."
Need for More Checks
Oliver argued that there needs to be more checks in place, which may only be enforced if it's easier for people to sue chatbot makers for negligence. He also urged parents to monitor how their children use chatbots and warned anyone predisposed to mental health struggles to treat the apps "with extreme caution."
"If you do find yourself in crisis, the National Suicide Hotline is just three numbers. It's 988," he said. "It really feels like it shouldn't be that hard for a fucking chatbot to point you there but apparently for some it is."
Corporations Behind the Machine
Oliver concluded by stressing that chatbots are just machines and "behind that machine is a corporation trying to extract a monthly fee from you." He added, "And that kind of sums up for me what is so dystopian about all this."
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
