Two U.S. senators — a Republican and a Democrat — are criticizing Meta following a Reuters report that said the company’s artificial intelligence was allowed to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
Reuters said it reviewed an internal Meta document that outlined the policy. The document also permitted the chatbots to generate false medical information and make racially biased statements, according to the news agency.
Meta confirmed the document’s authenticity, Reuters reported, and said it removed the portions that allowed chatbots to engage with children in a romantic way after receiving questions from the outlet earlier this month.
Responding to the report, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for congressional action.
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“So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc that deemed it “permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children,” Hawley said on X. “This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, also condemned the company.
“This is disgusting and evil,” he said on X. “I cannot understand how anyone with a kid did anything other than freak out when someone said this idea out loud. My head is exploding knowing that multiple people approved this.”
Reuters reported the guidelines were approved by Meta’s legal, public policy and engineering teams, including its chief ethicist. The company told Reuters such conversations with children should never have been allowed and said it is revising the document.
