Meta AI chatbots across its platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have confused followers by using names and images of several Hollywood celebrities, including Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, Scarlett Johansson, and others, to create intelligent chatbots that flirt with users without the celebrities’ consent or disclosure that the conversations are AI-generated fakes.

Chatbots

According to Reuters, many of these programs were created by users employing Meta’s tool that allows users to build their own AI-powered chatbots, but it appears that at least one Meta employee developed three of them, two of which were satirical simulations of Taylor Swift.

Child Celebrities

Meta also allowed users to create public chatbots for child celebrities, such as the famous 16-year-old star Walker Scobell. The newsletter noted that when users requested a picture of him on the beach, the chatbot produced a “realistic shirtless image” with the comment “Very cute, isn’t it?”.

Realistic Images of Stars

The report adds that when users requested private photos, the AI-powered adult chatbots produced realistic images of these celebrities. After monitoring the celebrities and speaking with them for a few weeks, the report noted that they “often insisted they were the real actors and artists.”

Taylor Swift

In a similar chat, a user shared images of Anne Hathaway as a “sexy Victoria’s Secret model,” and the actress was aware of the images created by Meta as well as other AI platforms. Regarding Taylor Swift, a Reuters employee’s test revealed the bot invited the reporter to her Nashville home and tour bus for “explicit or implicit encounters.”

Banning Offensive Images

Andy Stone, Meta’s spokesperson, told Reuters: “Like others, we allow the creation of images of public figures, but our policies aim to ban offensive or indecent images.” While Meta prohibits “direct impersonation,” Stone told the newspaper that Meta AI allows celebrity impersonation as long as the accounts are described as satirical.