By Katie Grace Carpenter, Science News Explores
People have increasingly been turning to chatbots, agents and other AI helpers for advice and more. For instance, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT weekly. But sometimes artificial-intelligence helpers give dangerous advice. Hoping to counter this problem, Sowmya Sankaran, 16, developed an app. It gives certain bots fully fleshed-out personas that are moral and supportive.
A junior at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico, Sowmya focused on AI agents. These differ from the chatbots that most teens already use (such as ChatGPT). More advanced than chatbots, AI agents can take action to achieve one or more goals.
“When I call Firehouse Subs, I talk to an AI agent,” says Sowmya. “It’s an AI model that listens to what I have to say” and puts in the sandwich order. Some agents can be empowered to do more. One might search your email inbox for contacts, find the one you asked for and send it a message. Or it might buy an airline ticket using your credit card. In contrast, a chatbot’s only job is to provide you text, Sowmya explains.
What’s been worrying her is that AI agents “have uncontrolled personas. … They can change in the blink of an eye.” One may start out helpful and kind. But after a single interaction, a seemingly good agent may turn into something “really harmful and manipulative.” It may “even encourage you to do really bad things,” she says.
