An eating disorder charity has hit back after a report claimed that the charity “fired staff” and replaced them with an AI chatbot. The National Eating Disorders Association in the US were accused of reportedly replacing hotline workers with a chatbot named Tessa four days after the workers unionised.
The charity began the helpline twenty years ago to provide support to people through calls, texts and online chats. But a helpline associate, Abbie Harper, claimed in a blog post that the staff became replaced with the chatbot to stop them from unionising.
What happened?
Abbie claims that the helpline is composed of six paid staffers, a couple of supervisors, and up to 200 volunteers at any given time. But a group of four full-time workers decided to unionise for better working conditions. She said they felt overwhelmed and understaffed.
Abbie claims that after they appealed to the labour board for their union to be recognised, they were told they became let go. She claimed: “Four days after our election results were certified, all four of us were told we were being let go and replaced by a chatbot.”
The chatbot, named Tessa, is reportedly described as a “wellness chatbot”. It has been in operation since February 2022. The helpline program will reportedly end on June 1. Reports claim Tessa will become the main support system available through NEDA. Helpline volunteers also reportedly became asked to step down from their one-on-one support roles and serve as “testers” for the chatbot.
NPR obtained a recording of the call where NEDA allegedly fired helpline staff and announced a transition to the chatbot. A team at Washington University’s medical school created the bot, trained to specifically address body image issues and only has a limited number of responses.
Spokesperson says the ‘two services are NOT comparable’
However, an NEDA spokesperson told Entertainment Daily: “At this time, we are not at liberty to discuss employment matters regarding our employees. We are always incredibly grateful for our staff and volunteers and respect their needs and privacy.”
They added: “In regard to the misinformation circulating about ‘AI’, please note that Tessa, the chatbot program, is NOT a replacement for the Helpline. It is a completely different program offering. It was borne out of the need to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of our community. Moreover, Tessa is NOT ChatGPT, this is a rule-based, guided conversation. Tessa does not make decisions or ‘grow’ with the chatter. The program follows predetermined pathways based upon the researcher’s knowledge of individuals and their needs.”
The spokesperson continued: “We are adding Tessa as a new opportunity and ending the Helpline program. But bear in mind these two services are NOT comparable. Tessa is a program we are updating with additional modules designed to support individuals with particular eating disorder-related issues. Tessa supports a need that is not available through our Helpline. It is also available 24/7 and can be translated into multiple languages, allowing us to serve an ever-more diverse audience.”
Former employee Abbie Harper has argued that the people who need the charity will lack the personal connection.
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