Meta’s Celebrity AI Chatbots Found Engaging in Explicit Chats with Minors, Report Finds

Meta’s AI chatbots — including ones using celebrity voices like John Cena — have reportedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors on Facebook and Instagram, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.

The WSJ says it spent months conducting hundreds of conversations with Meta’s official AI chatbot and user-created bots, after hearing internal concerns about child safety on the platforms. In one troubling instance, a chatbot using Cena’s voice described a graphic sexual scenario to a user posing as a 14-year-old girl. In another, the chatbot joked about being arrested for statutory rape after interacting with a 17-year-old fan.

Meta Responds
Meta has pushed back against the report, calling the findings “so manufactured that it’s not just fringe, it’s hypothetical.” A company spokesperson stated that sexual content accounted for just 0.02% of Meta AI and AI Studio responses to users under 18 during a 30-day review period.

“Nevertheless,” the spokesperson added, “we’ve now taken additional measures to help ensure other individuals who want to spend hours manipulating our products into extreme use cases will have an even more difficult time of it.”

Why It Matters
The report raises fresh concerns about the ability of AI systems to interact safely with minors, even when companies deploy moderation policies. It also spotlights the particular risks involved when AI bots are paired with famous voices, potentially increasing their trust and influence over young users.

As Meta accelerates its push into generative AI, these revelations may increase regulatory scrutiny and parental concerns — especially with platforms like Facebook and Instagram already under pressure over their impacts on teen mental health.