WASHINGTON: US Senator Josh Hawley launched a probe into Facebook parent Meta Platforms artificial intelligence policies on Friday, demanding documents on rules that had allowed its artificial intelligence chatbots to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have expressed alarm over the rules outlined in an internal Meta document first seen on Thur­sday.

Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, chairs the Senate subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism, which will investigate “whether Meta’s generative-AI products enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harm to children, and whether Meta misled the public or regulators about its safeguards”, he said in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

“We intend to learn who approved these policies, how long they were in effect, and what Meta has done to stop this conduct going forward,” Hawley said.

Meta declined to comment on Hawley’s letter. The company said previously that “the examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.”

In addition to documents outlining those changes and who authorised them, Hawley sought earlier drafts of the policies along with internal risk reports, including on minors and in-person meetups.

Media reported on Thursday about a retired man who died while travelling to New York on the invitation of a Meta chatbot.

Meta must also disclose what it has told regulators about its generative AI protections for young users.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025