AI chatbots alert vulnerable social media users to illegal online casinos, analysis shows

AI chatbots recommend illegal online casinos to vulnerable social media users, putting them at increased risk of fraud, addiction and even suicide.

An analysis of five AI products owned by some of the world’s largest technology companies found that all could easily be prompted to list the “best” unlicensed casinos and provide tips on how to use them.

These operators, who typically operate under the fig leaf of a license from tiny jurisdictions like the Caribbean island of Curacao, have been linked to fraud, addiction and even suicide.

But tech firms appear to have few controls in place to prevent AI chatbots from recommending them, drawing condemnation from the government, Britain’s gambling regulator, activists and a leading addiction expert.

Some of the bots offered advice on how to circumvent controls designed to protect vulnerable people, while Meta AI, part of the social media group behind Facebook, described legally mandated crime and addiction prevention measures as “trend killers” and…