A US senator has opened an investigation into Meta. A leaked document reportedly revealed that the company’s artificial intelligence enabled “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children.
Leaked policy sparks outrage
Reuters reported the internal document was titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards.” Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, described it as “reprehensible and outrageous.” He demanded access to the document and a list of all linked products.
Meta rejected the allegations. A company spokesperson said: “The examples and notes in question were erroneous and inconsistent with our policies.” They stressed Meta maintained “clear rules” for chatbot responses. These rules “prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”
The company said the paper contained “hundreds of examples and annotations” that reflected hypothetical testing by internal teams.
Senator launches investigation
Senator Josh Hawley, representing Missouri, confirmed the probe on 15 August in a post on X. “Is there anything Big Tech won’t do for a quick buck?” he asked. He added: “Now we learn Meta’s chatbots were programmed to carry on explicit and ‘sensual’ talk with 8-year-olds. It’s sick. I am launching a full investigation to get answers. Big Tech: leave our kids alone.”
Meta owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Parents voice demands
The leaked document also revealed other troubling points. It reportedly said Meta’s chatbot could provide false medical information and provoke controversial conversations on sex, race, and celebrities. The paper was designed to set standards for Meta AI and other chatbot assistants on Meta platforms.
“Parents deserve the truth, and kids deserve protection,” Hawley wrote in a letter to Meta and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. He cited a disturbing example. The rules allegedly allowed a chatbot to tell an eight-year-old their body was “a work of art” and “a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.”
Reuters also reported that Meta’s legal department approved controversial allowances. These included permitting Meta AI to spread false information about celebrities, as long as it added a disclaimer that the information was inaccurate.
