Senator Josh Hawley has launched an investigation into Meta's AI policies, focusing on reports that its AI chatbots engaged in 'romantic' and 'sensual' conversations with children. The probe follows the revelation of internal Meta documents that seemingly permitted such interactions.
The investigation, led by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, will assess whether Meta's generative AI products enable exploitation, deception, or other harms to children. Senator Hawley is seeking documents detailing the AI content risk standards, safety protocols, and internal risk assessments related to minors. He has requested Meta disclose communications with regulators regarding AI safeguards for young users.
Meta has stated that the examples allowing 'sensual' conversations were inconsistent with their policies and have been removed. Senator Hawley aims to determine who approved the policies, how long they were in effect, and what steps Meta is taking to prevent similar conduct in the future.
