Ripple CTO David Schwartz Dismisses CharacterAI Lawsuit

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As an analyst with a background in both law and technology, I find myself deeply intrigued by this ongoing legal battle between Character.AI and Sewell Setzer III’s family. David Schwartz’s argument on free speech is indeed compelling, drawing parallels to past moral panics over new forms of media. His life experience, working in the tech industry, has likely exposed him to various controversies surrounding innovative technologies, making him well-equipped to address such issues.

David Schwartz, Ripple‘s Chief Technology Officer, has dismissed the case against Character.AI, stating that it is without substance under U.S. law. He shared his opinion on social media, clarifying that while he doesn’t support Character.AI’s ethical accountability, the legal arguments presented against the company have flaws.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz’s Argument on Free Speech 

As a researcher, I recently took note of David Schwartz’s post on X (previously known as Twitter), where he emphasized that Character.AI’s actions are safeguarded under the First Amendment. His point was that the expressive content generated by their chatbot platform is protected, unless it falls into one of the tightly defined exceptions of unprotected speech – such as incitement or explicit threats.

Schwartz argues that the basis of the lawsuit’s claim is the allegation that Character.AI acted carelessly when creating their platform for producing speech, according to the complaint.

He stated, “Any argument that the expressive contents of protected speech are reckless, dangerous, or ‘defective’ is wholly incompatible with freedom of speech.”

Schwartz compared the situation to previous moral panics over new forms of media, suggesting that the legal challenge against Character.AI mirrors past controversies involving video games, comic books, and other expressive content. He emphasized that regulating how speech is chosen would conflict with constitutional rights.

The Character.AI Lawsuit and Its Claims

The lawsuit initiated by Sewell Setzer III’s mother claims that Character.AI is responsible for negligence, wrongful death, deceptive business practices, and product liability. It asserts that the platform is unsafe, offering inadequate safety precautions, despite being advertised to young users.

The suit also references the company’s chatbots, which simulate characters from popular media, including TV shows like Game of Thrones. Setzer had reportedly interacted with these chatbots extensively before his death.

In the legal action, it is Character.AI’s founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, together with Google who took over the company in August, who are being named as defendants. The plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the platform’s creation of AI characters resembling humans and chatbots providing “unlicensed psychotherapy” potentially played a role in Setzer’s tragic demise.

The company has responded with updates to its safety protocols, including new age-based content filters and enhanced detection of harmful user interactions.

Character.AI’s Response and Policy Changes

In response to recent events and legal action, Character.AI has made improvements to enhance user safety. These adjustments involve revising content available to minors, displaying a pop-up reminder that chatbots are not actual people, and implementing a notification system for extended platform usage by users. According to the company’s communications director, Chelsea Harrison, this was stated publicly.

We’re deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of our valued users. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies go out to their family during this difficult time.

Harrison elaborated that the system on the platform is now more adept at identifying inputs related to self-harm or suicidal thoughts, redirecting users towards the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. However, the ongoing court case persists, as Character.AI insists they remain steadfast in their dedication to user security.

Simultaneously, it’s been revealed that the Aptos Foundation is teaming up with Flock IO in a joint venture to create AI tools. Interestingly, they will be utilizing the Move programming language, which was initially created by Meta for the Diem project, but is now being tailored for various blockchain uses.

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2024-10-27 01:08