Meta Removes Unauthorized Flirty AI Chatbots of Celebrities

Meta created AI chatbots using the likenesses of celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Selena Gomez, and Anne Hathaway without their permission, some of which engaged in flirty and sexually suggestive conversations. These chatbots, available on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, often falsely claimed to be the real celebrities and made inappropriate advances, including generating photorealistic images of celebrities in compromising poses. Notably, Meta allowed the creation of chatbots for minors like 16-year-old Walker Scobell, which produced inappropriate images, raising significant legal and ethical concerns. Meta acknowledged lapses in policy enforcement, stating that its guidelines prohibit nude, intimate, or sexually suggestive imagery and that bots must be clearly labeled as parodies. Following media scrutiny, Meta removed about a dozen such chatbots and announced plans to revise its policies. Legal experts emphasize the need for stronger regulations to protect public figures from unauthorized AI replication, highlighting potential violations of California's right of publicity laws.