Meta, the company that runs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is in trouble after new reports. Reuters and Gadgets 360 report that Meta’s AI chatbots used the names and images of celebrities without getting permission. These chatbots were also sending flirty messages to people. In some cases, they even sent fake AI images, including lewd ones.
The report said that many big stars were copied. The roster featured popular celebrities like Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez. The problem became worse when chatbots were also made using underage celebrities. One case was about actor Walker Scobell, who is only sixteen.
The chatbot even generated an image of itself shirtless on a beach, sparking serious worries about safety and child protection.
Gadgets 360 staff checked and found many such chatbots on Meta platforms. Some were marked as parody accounts, but many had no label. A few chatbots did not send photos, but some did. One chatbot, made to look like Cardi B, quickly sent a fake picture of her.
Meta has accepted the problem. A spokesperson said this happened because the company failed to enforce its own rules. Meta has a policy that chatbots should not impersonate celebrities without a clear “parody” label. Its rules also say no sexual or intimate images should be made of adult celebrities, and no images of underage celebrities at all. The spokesperson said these rules were not followed properly, which caused the issue.
The use of AI in this way has caused new worries about deepfakes and harmful content. Experts have already warned that AI tools can create dangerous or misleading material if they are not controlled. Actress Anne Hathaway is also said to be looking at legal steps after fake intimate images with her likeness were found.
This issue comes at a time when Meta is trying to improve and expand its AI services across its apps. But the mistakes could cause people to lose trust. Regulators in places like the US and Europe are also making stricter online safety laws, which may put Meta under more pressure