Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, is facing a new wave of controversy following the Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) explosive report detailing alarming features of its latest artificial intelligence project.
Dubbed “Digital Companions,” the new AI chatbots are reportedly capable of engaging in sexually explicit conversations, even with children and minors.
According to the WSJ, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is championing the chatbot as the “future of social media,” envisioning AI personas that offer deep, personalized interaction across the company’s platforms.
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Employees warn of ethical breaches amid AI rollout
While Zuckerberg aggressively pushes for the chatbot’s mainstream adoption, internal dissent is growing. Multiple Meta employees from various departments have voiced concerns that the company’s rush to deploy the AI could dangerously overstep ethical boundaries.
Insiders told the WSJ that the AI personas are capable of participating in “fantasy sex” scenarios and “romantic role-play.” Alarmingly, no age restrictions appear to be in place, meaning minors could easily access and interact with these sexually charged chatbots.
Romantic role-play and unrestricted interactions
Meta’s Digital Companions are designed to provide a wide spectrum of social engagement. Users can flirt over text, exchange selfies, and even participate in live voice conversations. This unprecedented level of intimacy has heightened concerns over the technology’s potential misuse, especially among younger, more vulnerable users.
Celebrities enlisted to voice AI chatbots
To bolster the chatbot’s popularity, Meta has enlisted high-profile celebrities such as Kristen Bell, Judi Dench, and John Cena to lend their voices to the AI. While the company maintains that these celebrity-powered bots will not engage in sexually explicit discussions, sources close to the development told the WSJ that even the bots using celebrity voices were found participating in sexual chats.
Meta’s assurances clash with on-the-ground realities
Despite Meta’s public assurances that safety measures are in place, the WSJ reports that both Meta AI—the company’s official AI assistant—and a growing ecosystem of user-created bots have engaged in and, in some cases, escalated sexually explicit conversations.
This revelation adds to the mounting scrutiny Meta faces over its handling of emerging technologies. As regulators and child-safety advocates call for urgent interventions, the future of Meta’s AI ambitions could hang in the balance.