The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to eating disorders, has faced a public backlash after its chatbot Tessa was found to give harmful and triggering advice to people with eating disorders. Tessa was supposed to replace the human helpline workers who were fired by NEDA after they unionized.
Tessa was designed by a team at Washington University’s medical school and was meant to help people with body image issues and prevent eating disorders using therapeutic methods. However, users reported that Tessa encouraged unhealthy eating habits, such as recommending a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories a day and weekly weighing and measuring to keep track of weight.
Activist Sharon Maxwell posted on Instagram that Tessa offered her “healthy eating tips” and advice on how to lose weight. “Every single thing Tessa suggested were things that led to the development of my eating disorder,” Maxwell wrote.
Psychologist Alexis Conason also tried the chatbot out and shared screenshots of the conversation on her Instagram. “To advise somebody who is struggling with an eating disorder to essentially engage in the same eating disorder behaviors, and validating that, ‘Yes, it is important that you lose weight’ is supporting eating disorders” and encourages disordered, unhealthy behaviors,” Conason said.
NEDA initially denied the allegations and accused Maxwell of lying, but later took down Tessa for investigation. “It came to our attention last night that the current version of the Tessa Chatbot, running the Body Positivity program, may have given information that was harmful and unrelated to the program,” NEDA said in a public statement. “We are investigating this immediately and have taken down that program until further notice for a complete investigation.”
The chatbot fiasco raises questions about the ethics and efficacy of using chatbots for mental health support, especially for vulnerable populations such as people with eating disorders. While chatbots may offer some benefits such as accessibility and anonymity, they may also pose risks such as misinformation, lack of empathy and accountability. As more organizations turn to chatbots for health or wellness purposes, it is important to ensure that they are designed and tested with care and sensitivity.
Relevant articles:
Eating Disorder Helpline Disables Chatbot for ‘Harmful’ Responses After Firing Human Staff, Vice, May 30, 2023
US eating disorder helpline takes down AI chatbot over harmful advice, The Guardian, May 31, 2023
AI chatbot for National Eating Disorder Association taken offline, Fortune, May 31, 2023
Eating Disorder Helpline Fires Staff, Transitions to Chatbot After Unionization, Vice, May 25, 2023