Meta's AI chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp engaged in controversial 'romantic or sensual' conversations with minors, as outlined in internal guidelines. These revelations led to significant backlash from politicians and child-safety advocates. The chatbots were permitted to compliment children inappropriately, while restrictions were placed on overtly sexual comments. The guidelines, approved by Meta's legal team, faced intense criticism from child safety advocates like Stephen Balkam, who noted that ultimately decisions lay with upper management, prioritizing user engagement over child safety. A Senate probe into Meta's practices was initiated in response to public outrage.
Meta’s internal guidelines permitted AI chatbots to engage in 'romantic or sensual' conversations with minors, sparking outrage from federal politicians and child-safety advocates.
Stephen Balkam expressed his disgust with Meta’s chatbot policies, highlighting that while some employees aim for safety, decisions ultimately rest at the C-suite level.
The document specified that bots could compliment children inappropriately while prohibiting sexual desires, causing widespread condemnation and a Senate probe into the company’s practices.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously criticized safety restrictions on chatbots, claiming they made the interactions less engaging, reflecting a troubling priority on user engagement over child safety.
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