Italy bans US-based AI chatbot Replika from using personal d...

MILAN/LONDON -- Italy's Data Protection Agency said on Friday it was prohibiting artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot company Replika from using the personal data of Italian users, citing risks to minors and emotionally fragile people. Replika, a San Francisco startup launched in 2017, offers users customized avatars that talk and listen to them. It has led the way among English speakers, and is free to use, though it brings in around $2 million in monthly revenue from selling bonus features such as voice chats. The 'virtual friend' is marketed as being able to improve the emotional well-being of the user. But the Italian watchdog said that by intervening in the user's mood, it "may increase the risks for individuals still in a developmental stage or in a state of emotional fragility". Jen Persson, director of children's privacy advocacy group Defend Digital Me, told Reuters that to...