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AI chatbot that provides information about abortion goes live

The chatbot known as Charley can provide users with information about abortion restrictions in their state and where the nearest provider is located.
An exam room at an abortion clinic
Posted at 1:24 PM, Sep 13, 2023

A group of abortion rights advocates is utilizing the advancements in artificial intelligence to offer information about access to the procedure. 

This week, the organization launched the AI chatbot Charley

The chatbot asks users a series of questions and provides answers about abortion restrictions in certain states, where the nearest abortion clinic is located, and how to obtain abortion pills. 

"All of the information Charley shares has been vetted by experienced reproductive health experts, doctors, and lawyers to ensure accuracy," the Chat with Charley organization states. 

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Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, and Tom Subak, who led the organization's digital department, co-founded Chat with Charley. It was created in response to state abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision last year. 

The developers state that Charley will not ask for personal information like a user's name, address, email or phone number. The service also won't share information with any third parties and deletes conversations from its system, the organization says. 

"While users should feel safe using Charley to do research and get more information about their options, we encourage users to practice private browsing habits by removing the page from their browser history or using incognito mode," the Chat with Charley organization states. 

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