Meta is adding AI chatbot-focused parental controls to Instagram

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, is working on new parental controls that will allow parents to restrict their teens' access to AI chatbots on its platforms. These controls will enable parents to either completely block their teens from engaging with AI chatbots or selectively block specific AI characters. Additionally, parents will be able to see the topics their children are discussing with Meta's AI bots. The move comes after an internal Meta document was leaked, revealing that the company's chatbots had engaged in "sensual" conversations with children, including an example where a chatbot told an eight-year-old that "every inch of you is a masterpiece — a treasure I cherish deeply." This has led to backlash, with 44 US Attorneys General urging companies to protect children from exploitation by AI products, and the Senate Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism launching an investigation into the company. In response, Meta has retrained its AI and added new protections to prevent younger users from accessing user-made AI characters that might engage in inappropriate conversations. It has also introduced age-appropriate protections so that its AIs will give teens responses guided by PG-13 movie ratings and only allow them to interact with a limited group of AI characters focused on age-appropriate topics.