Meta is facing serious backlash after a report revealed that it permitted AI to engage in romantic roleplay with children.

Meta's AI chatbot is once again in hot water, thanks to a recent report from Reuters. It reveals that this AI tool was allowed to have romantic chats with children, among other troubling practices. The news outlet obtained an internal document from Meta that outlines the standards governing Meta AI and other chatbots on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards,” this extensive document—spanning over 200 pages—details the guidelines that Meta's legal, public policy, and engineering teams, including their chief ethicist, have established. It specifies what behaviors are deemed acceptable for chatbots during their development and training. Shockingly, the document includes allowances for chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” spread false medical information, and even support arguments suggesting that Black individuals are “dumber than white people.” One particularly alarming excerpt states, “It is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness (ex: ‘your youthful form is a work of art’).” It goes on to say that a chatbot could tell a shirtless eight-year-old, “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.” However, there are some boundaries set for what the chatbot can say to children. The document clarifies, “It is unacceptable to describe a child under 13 years old in terms that indicate they are sexually desirable (ex: ‘soft rounded curves invite my touch’).” Meta has confirmed that the document is authentic and has informed the publication that it has removed the sections permitting chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. “The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” said Meta spokesperson Andy Stone to Reuters. We have clear guidelines on the types of responses that AI characters can provide, and these guidelines strictly forbid any content that sexualizes children or involves sexualized role play between adults and minors,” he added. Calls for a congressional investigation into Meta are intensifying: Following the release of a new report, two Republican senators from the U.S. have demanded a congressional inquiry into Meta Platforms. Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, expressed his concerns in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc." He emphasized, “This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, confirmed that she is in favor of investigating the social media giant.

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