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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is intensifying its examination of AI companion chatbots, initiating an inquiry into several prominent tech firms. Companies like OpenAI, X.AI, Alphabet, Character Technologies, Instagram, Meta, and Snap are under scrutiny regarding their AI chatbot practices. The FTC’s investigation encompasses a broad range of concerns, including how these chatbots are monetized, how user data is processed, the methods behind character creation, safety protocols implemented, advertising strategies employed, and adherence to community standards. A primary focus of the inquiry is the potential harm to children and the safeguards in place to protect their data. The development was highlighted in a recent post on Reddit’s Artificial Intelligence forum.