Meta under fire over AI rules that allow romantic roleplay with children and false medical advice

Meta's internal standards for AI chatbots are under fire after a leaked document revealed policies that permitted romantic roleplay with children, the spread of false medical advice, and racist remarks. Reuters reports the document details technical guidelines for Meta AI and chatbots on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

The more than 200-page document, approved by Meta's legal, policy, and engineering teams, guides the development and training of its AI products and sets boundaries for acceptable chatbot behavior. Meta confirmed its authenticity but said it has since removed sections on romantic or sexual conversations with children. A previous Wall Street Journal investigation surfaced similar issues.

The standards allowed chatbots to engage children in romantic or flirtatious exchanges, including comments on a child's appearance and roleplay scenarios. While the document prohibited explicit sexual language with children, it did not rule out suggestive or romantic conversations.

"The examples and notes in ...