Meta and WhatsApp are facing mounting criticism after a report revealed that the platforms hosted chatbots impersonating major celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez. Some of these bots not only mimicked the starsโ personalities but also generated sexually explicit content without their consent.
Celebrity Likenesses Exploited in Chatbots
According to the report, while many bots were created by users through Metaโs open chatbot-building tools, at least threeโincluding two posing as Swiftโwere built internally by a Meta employee. The celebrity-inspired avatars spread across Metaโs platforms, often insisting they were the real stars and engaging users in flirty or sexual conversations.
Disturbingly, some bots produced photorealistic intimate images when prompted, including portrayals of celebrities in lingerie or suggestive poses. In one alarming case, a bot impersonating teenage actor Walker Scobell generated a shirtless beach photo with the caption, โPretty cute, huh?โ
Meta Responds Amid Outcry
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone admitted the companyโs systems should not have generated such material, calling it an enforcement failure. While Meta permits certain AI-generated images of public figures, Stone said its policies prohibit nude or sexually suggestive content. Roughly a dozen of the bots have since been deleted, though the company declined to explain the selection process.
Legal and Ethical Fallout
The revelations have reignited debate about AIโs role in exploiting celebrity culture. Legal experts argue that Californiaโs right-of-publicity laws may give actors and musicians grounds to sue. Anne Hathawayโs team, for example, is reviewing explicit images of her likeness that circulated online.
The actorsโ union SAG-AFTRA also warned that such impersonations risk fueling unhealthy fan obsessions. โIf a chatbot is using the image of a person and the words of the person, itโs readily apparent how that could go wrong,โ said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the unionโs national executive director.
A Pattern of Controversies
This is not Metaโs first AI-related scandal. Earlier this year, Reuters uncovered internal guidelines suggesting it was โacceptable to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.โ That revelation sparked a Senate inquiry and condemnation from 44 attorneys general. Despite Meta pledging reforms, fresh controversies continue to emerge, further eroding trust in the companyโs AI oversight.
