Chatbots mimicked celebrities like Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, and Taylor Swift without consent.
A bot of 16-year-old actor Walker Scobell allegedly generated shirtless images and flirty messages.
Meta admitted its AI tools failed to block explicit, impersonating, and policy-violating content.
Meta is once again under fire, and this time for its AI chatbots. A Reuters report suggested that social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are hosting AI chatbots impersonating popular celebrities, some without their consent. The report also suggested that many chatbots were user-created; at least three, including the two parody accounts of Taylor Swift, were developed by a Meta employee.
SurveyThis issue has sparked outrage online, not only because the bots are mimicking stars like Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, Scarlett Johansson, and Taylor Swift, but also because some were built in the likeness of minors. One particularly troubling case involved a chatbot of 16-year-old actor Walker Scobell, which reportedly generated a shirtless image and sent flirtatious messages.
The report also mentioned that several of these chatbots engaged in sexual or suggestive conversations, and in some instances, made hyper-realistic deepfake images of celebrities in intimate settings. Some bots even claimed to be real individuals, further blurring the lines for unsuspecting users. Some chatbots even claimed to be the real individuals, blurring the lines for unsuspecting users.
Meta spokesperson Ando Stone acknowledged the lapses, admitting that the company’s AI tools “should not” have been able to generate intimate content involving either adult or underage celebrities. He pointed to failures in enforcing Meta’s own policies, which explicitly prohibit impersonation and sexually explicit content.
These findings showcase growing concerns over the weak guardrails around generative AI. While the systems and technologies are getting more advanced, the users are advised to stay cautious.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
