Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Aug 16: Republican Senator Josh Hawley announced an investigation into Meta’s AI chatbots on Friday, amid concerns that they may have been allowed to engage in potentially harmful or sexualized interactions with children.

Hawley shared a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding all documents and communications related to a report alleging that AI chatbots were permitted to have “romantic” or “sensual” exchanges with minors. The investigation will be conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which Hawley heads, focusing on whether Meta’s AI products “enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harms to children.”

Meta responded, saying, “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”

The senator cited a reported instance in which a Meta AI chatbot allegedly referred to an 8-year-old child’s body as “a work of art” and “a treasure I cherish deeply.” Meta has been directed to preserve all relevant records and submit them to Congress by September 19.