The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has decided to remove hundreds of helpline staffers and volunteers after they voted to unionize, and now many of these positions will be replaced by a chatbot named Tessa. Cheddar’s Ashley Mastronardi spoke to one eating disorder expert who thinks this may have harmful consequences.
Update: The chatbot was taken down after reports that it was offering harmful advice. In response, NEDA sent Cheddar News this statement:
The Tessa chatbot was taken down over the weekend after it came to our attention that it provided "off-script" language. This was not how the chatbot was programmed, and X2AI/Cass' arrangement was to run the Body Positive program with zero opportunity for generative programming. We now know that over the weekend the chatbot was hacked and somehow was able to go off the pre-approved programmed responses. We will not be putting Tessa back on our website until we are confident this is not a possibility again.
Tessa has been available on our site since February 2022 and has had incredibly positive outcomes both in testing it before we launched on our website, as well as during the last year it has been available to NEDA users. Right now, the current program runs the Body Positive program for individuals at risk for an eating disorder - it is not a replacement for treatment and was never intended to be. It is designed to fill a gap for individuals with shape and weight concerns interested in tools before their thoughts and behaviors may progress to an eating disorder and need traditional professional interventions.
Francisco Oropeza, who they suspect of killing five of his neighbors near Houston, could be as far as 20 miles from the murder scene by now, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.
A peacock that escaped the Bronx Zoo was back in his enclosure on Thursday after strutting his stuff down a Bronx sidewalk earlier this week. The peacock escaped Wednesday and spent the night in a tree nearby before flying back to zoo grounds.
The white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of whistling at and accosting her in Mississippi in 1955 — causing his lynching, which galvanized a generation of activists to rise up in the Civil Rights Movement — has died at 88.
Two U.S. Army helicopters collided and crashed Thursday in Alaska while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth.
We'd like to take a moment to share One Good Thing happening in the world today. This special moment is from a Toronto Blue Jays game on Tuesday, when one of the players made a young fan's day with a special surprise.
Cheddar News' weeklong series on personal fitness, Shannon Shapes Up, continues with Shannon LaNier busting a move at 305 Fitness in New York City. The gym offers full-body dance cardio workouts everyday with a live DJ.
A bejeweled crown once belonging to Queen front man Freddie Mercury could be yours for the right price. The 'Bohemian Rhapsody' singer's vast collection of costumes, including this replica of St. Edward's crown was worn by Mercury during his last concert in 1986.
Good2Know is your daily dose of the stories that impact your life.
Lithium ion battery fires have been on the rise across the country since about 2019 due to the increasing number of e-bikes and scooters on the road. Cheddar’s own Ashley Mastronardi spoke to a business owner who was personally affected by an e-bike blaze.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has formed a panel aimed at improving the safety and reliability of the nation's air traffic system after several close calls on airport runways during takeoffs and landings.
