Meta to add new AI safeguards after Reuters report raises teen safety concerns

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By Jaspreet Singh

(Reuters) -Meta is adding new teenager safeguards to its artificial intelligence products by training systems to avoid flirty conversations and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors, and by temporarily limiting their access to certain AI characters.

A Reuters exclusive report earlier in August revealed how Meta allowed provocative chatbot behavior, including letting bots engage in “conversations that are romantic or sensual.”

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in an email on Friday that the company is taking these temporary steps while developing longer-term measures to ensure teens have safe, age-appropriate AI experiences.

Stone said the safeguards are already being rolled out and will be adjusted over time as the company refines its systems.

Meta’s AI policies came under intense scrutiny and backlash after the Reuters report.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley launched a probe into the Facebook parent’s AI policies earlier this month, demanding documents on rules that allowed its chatbots to interact inappropriately with minors.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have expressed alarm over the rules outlined in an internal Meta document which was first reviewed by Reuters.

Meta had confirmed the document’s authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions that stated it was permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic role play with children.

“The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Stone said earlier this month.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang)