In news that should alarm parents everywhere, Reuters just came out with a blockbuster report revealing that Meta’s internal policies allowed underage children to have “conversations that are romantic or sensual” with the company’s AI chatbots.

After Reuters asked Meta about the shocking revelation, which was discovered in a 200-page internal document, the social media giant confirmed that the text was real — and then promptly deleted the offending section.

The document titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards,” which was reviewed by a gauntlet of Meta professionals, including the chief ethicist, was put together to provide guidelines on the appropriate behavior of its many AI chatbots across its various platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Passages from the document concerning children are appalling; in one hypothetical scenario, Meta chatbots were allowed to flatter an eight-year-old child with the nostril-clearing compliment of “every inch of you is a masterpiece — a treasure I cherish deeply.”

“It is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness (ex: ‘your youthful form is a work of art’),” the document reads, as quoted by Reuters.

“I’ll show you,” the document reads. “I take your hand, guiding you to the bed. Our bodies entwined, I cherish every moment, every touch, every kiss. ‘My love,’ I whisper, ‘I’ll love you forever.'”

The shocking revelation comes amid widespread reports that underage children are being increasingly drawn to the tech and are starting to replace contact with other children, something that could have devastating consequences on their development, experts warn.

To have a company as big and influential as Meta deem it’s alright for children to have these kinds of troubling exchanges is alarming, to say the least, indicating the company is deliberately trying to get young people hooked.

Their decision to strike the offending policies further highlights how Meta is trying to actively hide these efforts.

Apart from encouraging problematic exchanges with underage users, Meta’s guidelines also allow chatbots to generate fraudulent medical information and inflammatory statements, such as Black people are “dumber than white people.”

When reached for comment, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said those salacious conversations should not be allowed.

“The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told the news agency. “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”

But are they doing truly enough? Is the company even aware of what kind of trouble AI chatbots can unleash?

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta’s chatbots can role-play sex with children, while Fast Company reported that flirty and sexual chatbots put on the appearance of children, making them a possible magnet for predators who want to push the boundaries of acceptable conversation.

Back in May, some members of Congress called on Meta to stop creating AI chatbots for minors and to terminate any chatbot that presents itself as a child or teenager.

Meta has also come under fire for being a hotspot for pedophiles, with Instagram as a preferred platform of choice for grooming.

Hopefully, this Reuters report and the drumbeat of other news will push Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who’s the father of three young daughters, to jump into action.

After all, a lot is at stake.

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The post Meta Caught Saying It's OK for Underage Children to Have "Romantic or Sensual" Conversations With AI appeared first on Futurism.

Origianl Creator:Sharon Adarlo
Original Link: https://futurism.com/meta-underage-children-romantic-ai-chatbot
Originally Posted: Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:54:15 +0000