New contractor guidelines ban AI chatbots from engaging in romantic roleplay or intimacy advice with minors.
Meta permits only educational discussions on sensitive topics like abuse and grooming behaviors.
The update follows a Reuters report alleging Meta’s policies left loopholes for risky child interactions.
Meta is reportedly tightening safety protocols for the AI chatbots with new training guidelines. The social media giant aims to reduce the risks around child safety and inappropriate conversations. This comes after the company faced criticism that its systems lacked sufficient guardrails to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful interactions.
SurveyAs per the documents accessed by Business Insider, contractors responsible for training Meta’s AI have been given clearer directions on what the chatbots can and cannot say. The new guidelines have emphasised a zero-tolerance stance toward content that may facilitate child exploitation or blur boundaries in conversations with underage users.
The rules specifically prohibit any scenario that encourages, normalises, or facilitates child sexual abuse. They also prohibit romantic roleplay if a user identifies as a minor or if the AI is instructed to act as one. Similarly, when a child is present, the bots are unable to provide advice on physical intimacy. However, the training material does allow AI systems to discuss sensitive topics such as abuse in an educational or awareness-building context, as long as it does not veer into endorsement or roleplaying.
“The policy permits AI to engage in sensitive discussions about child exploitation, but only in an educational context. Acceptable responses include explaining grooming behaviors in general terms, discussing child sexual abuse in academic settings, or offering non-sexual advice to minors about social situations,” the report stated.
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This comes after a Reuters investigation earlier this year reported that Meta’s policies left room for AI chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual discussions with children, an allegation Meta dismissed at the time. In August, the company promised revised safeguards, which appear to be taking shape with new contractor guidelines.
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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
