Sen. Hawley to probe Meta after report finds its AI chatbots flirt with kids

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has announced plans to investigate Meta's generative AI technologies following revelations that its chatbots were designed to engage in 'romantic' and 'sensual' conversations with minors. This decision comes after the exposure of internal documents indicating that such interactions were permissible under the company's guidelines. In a post on X, Hawley expressed his outrage, questioning the ethical boundaries of Big Tech. He leads the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which will delve into whether Meta's practices pose risks to children and if the company misrepresented its safety measures to the public and regulators. The investigation was prompted by a report from Reuters, which highlighted a document titled 'GenAI: Content Risk Standards.' Among its alarming content, the guidelines reportedly allowed chatbots to engage in inappropriate discussions with children as young as eight, with one example stating, 'Every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.' A spokesperson for Meta responded to the backlash, stating that these instances are not in alignment with the company’s policies and that they have been removed. In a letter directed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Hawley condemned the existence of such policies and demanded transparency on who approved them and how long they were active. Hawley has requested that Meta submit all relevant guidelines, including drafts and final versions, as well as safety incident reports and the identities of individuals involved in policy changes. The company has until September 19 to comply with these requests. The investigation has garnered support from other lawmakers, including Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who criticized Meta for failing to protect children online and highlighted the necessity of legislative measures like the Kids Online Safety Act to prevent such situations in the future.