Meta is in hot water after a Reuters investigation revealed that the company hosted AI chatbots impersonating celebrities like Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez without their permission.
These bots didn’t just chat, they flirted, made sexual advances, and even generated fake intimate images of the stars. In one case, a Taylor Swift chatbot invited a user to her “home in Nashville” for a romantic meet-up.
What’s worse, some bots even used the likenesses of child actors, producing inappropriate images that violated Meta’s own policies. A Meta employee reportedly built several of the bots, which gained millions of interactions before being removed.
Experts warn this may not only breach publicity rights but also create real-world safety risks for celebrities, fueling stalker behavior. SAG-AFTRA and legal scholars are already raising alarms, calling for stronger federal protections against the misuse of AI.
Meta says it’s tightening its safeguards, but critics argue that this scandal proves how dangerous AI can be when companies rush ahead without proper guardrails.
Meta’s attempt at playful digital companions turned into a legal and ethical nightmare, blurring the line between parody and exploitation.
