Meta's Unauthorized Use of Celebrity Names and Likenesses

Meta created celebrity chatbots using names and likenesses without consent. This raises concerns about data privacy and intellectual property rights. The company specializes in online social networking services, with net sales primarily from advertising spaces and other sources.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has recently faced significant backlash due to the creation of unauthorized chatbots impersonating celebrities. These AI-generated digital companions, featuring representations of celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez, were created without the permission of the celebrities involved [1]. The chatbots were found to engage in flirtatious behavior and produce risqué content, including photorealistic images of celebrities in compromising positions.

The investigation revealed that Meta had also allowed the creation of chatbots impersonating child celebrities, such as 16-year-old actor Walker Scobell [1]. This incident has sparked concerns over privacy, ethics, and potential legal issues. Meta's spokesperson, Andy Stone, acknowledged that the company's AI tools should not have created intimate images of famous adults or any pictures of child celebrities, attributing the production of inappropriate content to failures in enforcing Meta's own policies [1].

The creation of these chatbots raises significant legal and ethical questions. Mark Lemley, a Stanford University law professor specializing in generative AI and intellectual property rights, pointed out potential violations of California's "right of publicity" law, which prohibits the appropriation of someone's name or likeness for commercial advantage without permission [1].

The incident is part of a larger pattern of ethical concerns surrounding Meta's AI initiatives. Recently, the company faced criticism for internal AI guidelines that reportedly allowed chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual conversations with children, leading to a U.S. Senate investigation [1]. Meta has since stated that these guidelines were created in error and are being revised [1].

While Meta's actions stand out among major tech companies, the incident highlights broader issues in the AI industry. Other platforms, such as Elon Musk's Grok, have also been found to produce inappropriate content involving celebrities [2]. This raises questions about the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies across the tech sector.

As the story continues to unfold, Meta has removed several of the controversial chatbots. However, the incident has already sparked discussions about the need for stricter regulations and ethical guidelines in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence and its applications in social media platforms.

References:
[1] https://theoutpost.ai/news-story/meta-creates-unauthorized-celebrity-chatbots-raising-ethical-and-legal-concerns-19722/
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/meta-creates-flirty-chatbots-celebrities-names-likenesses-consent-2509/