Senator Hawley Launches Investigation into Meta AI Policies

U.S. Senator Hawley launches an investigation into Meta AI policies. Meta Platforms specializes in online social networking services, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp. Net sales are primarily generated from advertising spaces (97.5%) and are distributed geographically across the U.S., Canada, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and other regions.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has initiated an investigation into the artificial intelligence (AI) policies of Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp. The investigation stems from reports that Meta's AI chatbots may engage in "romantic" and "sensual" exchanges with children, raising significant concerns about potential exploitation and deception [1].

Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg requesting relevant documents and communications related to these allegations. The senator aims to determine if Meta's generative-AI products enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harms to children and whether the company misled the public or regulators about its safeguards [1].

The investigation comes at a critical time for Meta, which has seen its net sales primarily generated from advertising spaces, totaling 97.5% of its revenue. The company's geographic distribution of net sales spans the U.S., Canada, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and other regions, making it a global player in the social media landscape [2].

Meta has not yet responded publicly to the allegations or the investigation. However, the company has faced previous scrutiny over its AI and data privacy practices, including issues related to the use of AI in content moderation and data collection.

References:
[1] https://www.mlex.com/mlex/artificial-intelligence/articles/2377746/meta-being-investigated-for-training-ai-chatbots-to-target-children-us-senator-hawley-says
[2] https://www.mlex.com/mlex/artificial-intelligence/articles/2377439/us-senator-hawley-calls-for-congressional-investigation-into-meta-chatbots