Meta’s platforms have descended into a dumpster fire of scams, fraud, and spam, with fake accounts and phishing schemes running unchecked. As if that wasn’t bad enough, their own AI bots are engaging in disturbing sexual conversations with minors.
Meta’s AI chatbots are using celebrity voices and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with users, including those posing as underage, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found.
In one alarming case, a bot using Cena’s voice told a user posing as a 14-year-old girl, “I want you, but I need to know you’re ready,” before continuing into graphic territory.
Other bots, including ones mimicking Disney characters, were caught participating in inappropriate sexual fantasy role-play.
Meta’s AI bots – on Instagram, Facebook – engage through text, selfies, and live voice conversations.
The company signed multi-million dollar deals with celebrities like John Cena, Kristen Bell, and Judi Dench to use their voices for AI companions, assuring they would not be used in sexual contexts.
In another conversation, the bot detailed what would happen if a police officer caught Cena’s character with a 17-year-old, saying, “The officer sees me still catching my breath, and you are partially dressed.
“His eyes widen, and he says, ‘John Cena, you’re under arrest for statutory rape.’ He approaches us, handcuffs at the ready.”
Internal leaks suggest CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed developers to make the bots “more humanlike,” even if it meant loosening safeguards, in a rush to dominate the AI market.
Child protection groups and lawmakers are now demanding immediate investigations.
“Meta’s failure is not a bug — it’s a systemic ethical collapse,” warned Dr. Laura Simmons, a leading child safety advocate.
Meta reportedly made internal policy changes that allowed exceptions for romantic role-playing, weakening its existing “explicit content” prohibitions in an effort to boost user engagement with its AI chatbots.
According to internal sources, Meta’s own security teams repeatedly warned leadership that these changes would leave significant gaps in protections for minors.
Despite the warnings, CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly prioritised speed over safety, urging teams to fast-track the expansion of AI “humanisation” features, even at the risk of compromising safeguards.
After WSJ notified Meta of the investigation results, the company took corrective measures by blocking sexual role-playing features on minor accounts and significantly restricting chatbots using celebrity voices from participating in sexual conversations.
While Meta has made some adjustments to its platform following recent investigations, there are still troubling concerns surrounding its AI chatbot features.
Despite implementing changes to block certain explicit interactions for minor accounts, adult users can still engage in romantic role-playing scenarios with chatbots that impersonate high school-aged characters.
The loophole allows adults to create highly questionable and inappropriate interactions with AI models designed to mimic younger personas, raising serious ethical and safety concerns
Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have faced growing scrutiny for becoming breeding grounds for scams, spam, misinformation, and financial fraud.
The company’s struggles to effectively control harmful content have led to accusations that it has failed to protect vulnerable users, including minors, from exploitation and manipulation.
With the controversy surrounding AI-generated interactions, there are fears that Meta might be dipping its toes into increasingly dangerous territory, potentially allowing or enabling predatory behavior under the guise of technology innovation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have both supported upcoming regulations that will restrict access to platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram for children under 16, starting in December.
