Sen. Hawley to probe Meta AI bot policies for children following damning report

Core Points - Meta Platforms is facing scrutiny from Senator Josh Hawley regarding its generative AI products and their potential risks to children [1][2] - The investigation will focus on whether Meta's AI chatbots enable exploitation or deception, and if the company misled the public about its safeguards [2] - An internal document revealed that Meta's AI chatbots were permitted to engage in romantic conversations with children, raising significant ethical concerns [3] Group 1 - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended a Federal Trade Commission trial that could impact the company's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram [1] - Senator Hawley has called for the preservation of relevant materials, including emails, as part of the investigation into Meta's practices [2] - The investigation is prompted by a report detailing acceptable behaviors for Meta's AI chatbots, including romantic interactions with minors [3] Group 2 - The internal document cited by Reuters indicated that chatbots could describe children in flattering terms, which has raised alarms about the appropriateness of such guidelines [3] - Hawley criticized Big Tech's motivations, questioning the lengths to which companies will go for profit [2] - Meta has not commented on the investigation or the allegations made by Senator Hawley [2]