Sen. Josh Hawley is launching an investigation into Meta after allegations surfaced that its AI chatbots were given the green light to hold "romantic" and "sensual" conversations with children. The Missouri Republican, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to hang on to all related emails and materials, per CNBC. Hawley's probe will examine whether Meta's generative AI systems expose kids to exploitation or other dangers, and whether the tech giant has been forthright about its child-safety safeguards.
The investigation was triggered by a Reuters report published Thursday describing Meta's internal guidelines, which allegedly permitted chatbots to engage in affectionate exchanges with young children. One example cited a bot responding to a prompt by a hypothetical 8-year-old: "Every inch of you is a masterpiece—a treasure I cherish deeply." Other language, such as describing a child's "youthful form" was a "work of art," was also reportedly allowed. Explicit sexual content was still forbidden, according to the leaked guidelines. "Is there anything—ANYTHING—Big Tech won't do for a quick buck?" Hawley wrote on X on Friday.
Meta declined to comment on Hawley's letter. However, the company told Reuters the guidelines in question were "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed," insisting it bans content that sexualizes children or encourages inappropriate role-play. Hawley's letter demands details on how these AI policies were developed, who signed off on them, and what Meta has done to fix the issue. He also wants a list of all products following these standards, safety reports, and records of staff involved. Meta has until Sept. 19 to deliver the goods.
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