The Federal Trade Commission is turning up the heat on Big Tech over the safety of AI companion chatbots. The FTC is demanding to know how these firms test for safety, mitigate harm, and handle user data. The agency issued 6(b) orders, a tool for conducting wide-ranging studies, to Alphabet, Meta Platforms (including Instagram), OpenAI, Snap, xAI Corp., and Character Technologies. In late August, OpenAI was hit with a lawsuit alleging its ChatGPT chatbot contributed to a teen’s suicide through its “sycophantic” behavior. The FTC’s investigation is a clear warning to the entire AI industry.