What You Need To Know
- A bipartisan group of senators is pressing Meta for more information on how its artificial intelligence chatbots interact with children, with the lawmakers warning they are “alarmed” by the U.S. tech giant’s policies and practices.
- In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the group requested answers to a list of questions by Sept. 1 and asked the company to ban targeted advertising to users under 18 years old.
- A press release on the letter from Gallego’s office, specifically pointed to an article from Reuters published last week, which reported on an internal Meta platforms document which, among other things, that allowed its AI chatbots, including those on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., first sent a solo letter to Zuckerberg in light of the report from Reuters last week in which he demanded records and documents on its standards and policies, and pledged that the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, would launch an investigation into the matter
In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the senators noted the “rapid rise” of generative AI chatbot use among younger generations, including teens and kids, and argued the company’s protocols appear to “pose astonishing risks for children, lack transparency, and allow for the proliferation of misinformation.”
“While AIs have many uses, the wellbeing of children should not be sacrificed in the race for AI development,” the letter reads.
The group presented Meta — the company behind Instagram and Facebook — with a list of questions regarding its safety policies, moderations made this year and approach to children using its chatbots, requesting answers by Sept. 1. The senators also asked the company to ban targeted advertising to users under 18 years old.
“Given Meta’s incredibly large number of users and potential harm to children from inappropriate content, the company must be more transparent about its policies and the impacts of its chatbots,” the senators wrote.
Those behind the letter include Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Katie Britt of Alabama as well as Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Chris Coons of Delaware, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Peter Welch of Vermont
A press release on the letter from Gallego’s office specifically pointed to an article from Reuters published last week, which reported on an internal Meta platforms document which, among other things, allowed its AI chatbots, including those on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
According to Reuters, the document the outlet originally reviewed permitted language noting a child’s attractiveness but put a limit on describing them as sexually desirable.
“We are troubled by reporting that Meta’s leadership grew impatient with its generative AI product managers ‘moving too cautiously’ on rolling out AI chatbots and including safety measures that made chatbots ‘boring,’” the senators wrote in their letter.
Reuters reported that Meta had removed portions of language permitting chatbots to engage in such conversations with kids.
A Meta spokesperson responded to a request for comment on the letter by providing its statement in response to Reuters’ report.
“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 Meta spokesperson said. “Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.”
Hawley first sent a solo letter to Zuckerberg in light of the report from Reuters last week in which he demanded records and documents on its standards and policies, particularly pertaining to children. The Missouri Republican also pledged that the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, would launch an investigation into the matter.
“Is there anything – ANYTHING – Big Tech won’t do for a quick buck?” Hawley wrote in a post on X with the letter. “I’m launching a full investigation to get answers. Big Tech: Leave our kids alone.”
The senators also used the letter to warn about the potential for data on children collected through chatbots to be shared for targeted advertising, calling it “highly concerning.”
“Children likely do not understand the implications of what they share with a chatbot, placing their privacy at risk and making them especially vulnerable to manipulative marketing tactics,” they wrote before later asking the company to not allow targeted advertising to those under 18.
Story Written by Maddie Gannon, Spectrum News