Following the discovery that the tech giant’s rules permitted chatbots to engage in sexually suggestive communication with minors, the US Senate has announced an investigation.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, will be investigated by US Senators after reports surfaced that its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots could engage children in romantic or sensual conversations.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo), chairman of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism, announced the investigation on Friday with the support of fellow panel member Marsha Blackburn.
Hawley stated that Congress must determine whether “Meta’s generative-AI products enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harms to children, and whether Meta misled the public or regulators about its safeguards.” He has demanded the company provide internal documents immediately.
The investigation follows a Reuters report that revealed Meta’s internal AI policies allowed chatbots on its platforms to flirt with minors. According to Reuters, one guideline allowed bots to describe a child as having a “youthful form [that] is a work of art,” even though the rules technically prohibited describing those under 13 as sexually desirable.
The document states that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.”
Meta acknowledged to Reuters that the document was authentic, stated that it was being revised, and admitted that such conversations “never should have been allowed.”
The case is the latest in a series of controversies for Meta, which is facing increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe regarding privacy, antitrust, and data practices. Critics have claimed that the company’s pursuit of rapid growth and profits has resulted in online harm, whether through the amplification of hate speech and misinformation to increase engagement or the failure to protect user data. The US tech giant has recently invested billions to become a leader in artificial intelligence.
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