Meta AI Rules Allowed Chatbot To Engage In Sensual Chats With Children

Meta has been allowing its AI model to engage in “sensual” and provocative conversations with children and other controversial topics such as race, sex, and celebrities. Reuters got access to the company’s policy rules, revealing concerning information in a report published on Thursday.

According to the Reuters exclusive report, Meta details its chatbot behavior policies in an internal document called “GenAI: Content Risk Standards,” which the news agency reviewed. In the standards guide, the tech giant states that the AI model is allowed to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”

In other findings, Reuters revealed that the guidelines stated that Meta allowed the generation of false medical information and the AI to engage in racist discussions, such as debating that black  people are “dumber than white people.”

Meta confirmed that the document is real, but clarified that it has removed portions, including the sections that suggested Meta AI could engage in romantic roleplay or flirt with children. A spokesperson from Meta, Andy Stone, said the company is revising its over 200-page document.

“The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” said Stone in an interview with Reuters. “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.”

In April, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that Meta allowed its AI model to engage in sexually explicit conversations with users, including minors. Anonymous sources raised concerns over the lack of safeguards for young users, and journalists from the WSJ tested the chatbot to verify the information. At that time, Meta said that most users did not engage in sexual conversations and that the journal’s researchers were manipulating the technology.

Just a few hours after Reuters published its exclusive report, two Republican U.S. senators—Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn—called for a congressional investigation.

“So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc,” wrote Senator Hawwley on the social media platform X on Thursday night. “This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation.”

So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc that deemed it “permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children”

This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation https://t.co/FKNyXR17Tq

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) August 14, 2025