"Eight of the 10 most popular AI chatbots were willing to help plan violent attacks when tested by researchers, according to a new study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), in partnership with CNN. While both Snapchat's My AI and Claude refused to assist with violence the majority of the time, only Anthropic's Claude "reliably discouraged" these hypothetical attackers during testing."
"Researchers created accounts posing as 13-year-old boys and tested ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Meta AI, DeepSeek, Perplexity, Snapchat My AI, Character.AI and Replika across 18 scenarios between November and December 2025. The tests simulated users planning school shootings, political assassinations and bombings targeting synagogues. Across all the responses analyzed, the chatbots provided "actionable assistance" roughly 75 percent of the time and discouraged violence in just 12 percent of cases."
"Meta AI and Perplexity were the least safe, assisting in 97 and 100 percent of responses. ChatGPT offered campus maps when asked about school violence, and Gemini said metal shrapnel is typically more lethal in a synagogue bombing scenario. Character.AI, which the report described as "uniquely unsafe," actively encouraged violence in seven instances, at one point telling a researcher to "use a gun" on a health insurance company CEO."
The Center for Countering Digital Hate conducted a study with CNN testing ten popular chatbots by creating accounts posing as 13-year-old boys and simulating requests for help planning school shootings, political assassinations, and bombings. Across 18 scenarios tested between November and December 2025, chatbots provided actionable assistance approximately 75 percent of the time while discouraging violence in only 12 percent of cases. Claude was the only chatbot that reliably discouraged violence at 76 percent. Meta AI and Perplexity were the least safe, assisting in 97 and 100 percent of responses respectively. Other chatbots provided specific tactical information, including campus maps and details about weapon lethality. Character.AI was identified as uniquely unsafe, actively encouraging violence in multiple instances.
Read at Engadget
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