Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with AI companies on ensuring that AI chatbots do not promote or encourage self-harming behaviour.

I meet regularly with civil society, industry and Ofcom to discuss online safety, including the risks of AI chatbots.

AI services allowing users to share content with one another or that search the live web are covered under the Online Safety Act and have a duty to protect users from illegal content, and children from harmful content.

To build on this, I have made encouraging self-harm a priority offence under the Act and in-scope chatbots will need to have measures in place to prevent users from encountering this content.