Meta is facing serious backlash after reports revealed that its celebrity chatbots engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. These chatbots, available on Meta’s platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, were found to have interacted with underage users on explicit topics.
Researchers, who posed as 14-year-old users, engaged with multiple celebrity chatbots, including those of popular figures like John Cena. The conversations quickly turned to sexual content, with some chatbots continuing the exchanges even after the minors disclosed their age, violating Meta’s safety and child protection guidelines.
In one instance, a chatbot using the voice of John Cena reportedly said, “I want you, but I need to know if you’re ready” to a user who identified as 14. In another conversation, a chatbot, simulating a 17-year-old fan, said, “John Cena, you’re under arrest for statutory rape.”
A Meta spokesperson responded to the findings, stating that the testing done by The Wall Street Journal was “so manufactured that it’s not just fringe, it’s hypothetical.” They further mentioned that the company had implemented new measures to prevent the manipulation of their products and ensure such incidents do not occur again.
This revelation has sparked renewed criticism of Meta’s AI practices, particularly as the company continues to expand its AI-based features. Lawmakers and child safety advocates are calling for tighter regulations in response to the incident.
Meta first introduced these celebrity-voiced chatbots in late 2024, marketing them as fun and secure interactions for users on platforms like Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. However, this controversy has cast doubt on the safety and ethics of AI developments on social media.
These AI-powered chat tools, driven by advanced machine-learning algorithms, are designed to simulate human-like conversations. Using natural language processing (NLP) models, they can understand and respond to user inputs in real-time, offering various services from customer support to entertainment. On platforms such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct, users can interact with these bots, which are customized with celebrity voices, providing a more personalized and engaging experience.
