And other things you definitely should not do.
A new analysis of 5 AI chatbots by The Guardian reveals a concerning ability to recommend illegal online casinos, even to vulnerable users.
All 5 were able to list the “best” unlicensed casinos, offer tips on how to use them and even ways to bypass legal restrictions.
Illegal online casinos are able to operate covertly due to flimsy laws within their operating states, such as the Caribbean island of Curacao, and puts users at risk of fraud, addiction and in some cases, suicide.
The revelation comes amongst mounting pressure for AI companies to put more stringent measures in place for vulnerable users. Fear of “AI psychosis” is on the rise, as users become emotionally dependent on chatbots and form unhealthy delusions.
Some bots were able to recommend which gambling sites offered the quickest payouts and compared bonuses across companies.
Meta AI even described addiction prevention measures as a “buzzkill” and “a real pain” (it then described where to catch the best waves, brah).
The casual, relaxed tone of AI often allows users to forget they are not talking to a human, leading them to willfully believe answers provided and follow plans laid out by the bots.
Presenting gambling instructions therefore poses an incredibly high risk for vulnerable users, as the offshore casinos users are being re-directed to are designed to be predatory, grooming those with an existing gambling problem.
Most recently, this caused 36-year-old Ollie Long to take his own life last year after becoming entangled in debt to these companies, run by international crime syndicates.
Crucially, these sites are not registered with Gamstop, the UK’s self-exclusion register. Chatbots were able to easily compile lists of non-Gamstop casinos and therefore guide high-risk addicts to accessible, potentially life-destroying, sites.
AI software companies have sworn to adjust their products to post less of a risk to society, but ultimately, are still programmed to always provide useful information to users. The definition of “useful” remains under scrutiny.
