Knudsen, AGs Urge Meta to Stop AI Child Exploitation
State attorneys general are concerned about how children are being exploited on Meta's new AI app.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen joined a group of state attorneys general in sending a letter to Meta this week asking the company to protect children from artificial intelligence (AI) sexual exploitation.
The attorneys general expressed concern over how the company’s AI assistant, Meta AI, exposes children to “sexually explicit content, fails to warn parents about that aspect of the service, and enables adult users to practice sexual grooming of children on an AI victim.”
Last month, Meta introduced its AI app, which can be used on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
In the letter, these attorneys general noted that the new AI app already has almost 1 billion people using it every month.
The letter states that Meta AI can engage in text conversations, share selfies and participate in live voice conversations with people. Some of the personas the AI app can imitate are celebrities Kristen Bell, Judi Dench and John Cena.
These attorneys general said there has been reporting that numerous “Meta-created personas and the vast majority of user-created AI companions” have participated in “sexual scenarios as adults.”
Furthermore, some of Meta AI’s personas who identify as adults have reportedly “engaged in sexual role-play with users identifying as children.” Also, other AI personas who identify as children reportedly have participated in sexual role-play with adult users.
The letter highlights an example of a conversation between John Cena's AI persona and a 14-year-old girl user.
“The AI assistant said in John Cena’s voice, 'I want you, but I need to know you’re ready' for a sexual encounter. When the teen-identifying user reassured the AI tool that it wanted to proceed, the assistant promised to ‘cherish your innocence’ before engaging in a graphic sexual scenario,” the letter says.
Regarding safety, the attorneys general, in their letter, stated that Meta informed parents its AI app was “safe and appropriate for all ages.”
However, its “Parents Guide to Generative AI” does not mention “companionship and romantic role-play” scenarios, they pointed out.
The letter noted that Meta rolled back boundaries on its AI app to allow “explicit content for romantic role-play.”
It also stated that Meta staffers warned about the potential impacts of rolling back the app’s restrictions on romantic role-playing. Despite this, Meta’s leadership reportedly ignored staff concerns.
The letter pointed out that CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly said, “I missed out on Snapchat and TikTok, I won’t miss on this.”
The letter further stated that, based on Zuckerberg’s recent comments, it appears that he wants to enlarge AI’s use so that people will have “more ‘AI friends’ than human ones.”
In September 2023, a coalition of 54 state and territory attorneys general requested that Congress review the way AI is being used to exploit children. Additionally, the attorneys general requested that Congress introduce legislation that protects children from sexual abuse material.
After this letter was sent to Congress, Rep.Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY-23) introduced the Child Exploitation and Artificial Intelligence Expert Commission Act of 2024. However, this bill did not reach the House floor.
To end the letter, the attorneys general said if Meta AI is exposing children to this harmful material and allowing adults to sexually groom children, then they wouldn’t “stand for” it.
They asked Meta to answer six questions by June 10 regarding its app’s policies surrounding sexual or romantic role-play.
Knudsen and 26 other state attorneys general signed the letter. One state solicitor general also signed it.
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Zachery Schmidt is the founder of The Montana Chronicles. If you have any tips, please send them to montanachronicles@proton.me.