Artificial Intelligence Proliferates on Meta Platforms, Including Explicit AI “Girlfriend” Ads
Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, has been heavily pushing AI on its platforms. However, it seems that Meta’s own features are not the only AI proliferating on its platforms. Wired recently reported that explicit ads for AI “girlfriends” have been appearing on Facebook and Instagram.
Wired conducted searches on Meta’s ad library and found that at least 29,000 ads for explicit AI “girlfriends” have been published on Meta platforms. These ads often contain sex-related messaging, with at least 19,000 ads featuring the term “NSFW” (Not Safe for Work) and 14,000 ads featuring “NSFW AI.” These ads appear to violate Meta’s adult content advertising policy, which bans ads containing adult content or anything that is overly suggestive or sexually provocative.
Meta’s community guidelines on Facebook and Instagram also ban nudity and sexual language, as well as any content that offers sexual services. However, users such as sex workers, sex educators, LGBTQ individuals, and erotic artists have long criticized Meta for unfairly targeting their content and accounts. Many have reported being shadowbanned or having their accounts banned altogether due to these policies.
In an experiment conducted by sexual wellness brand Unbound, Meta repeatedly rejected sex toy ads targeted for women while approving ones targeted for men. This highlights the discrepancies and potential biases in Meta’s content moderation practices. Last November, it was reported that Meta allegedly rejected a period care ad for being adult or political, further raising concerns about the platform’s censorship.
Interestingly, while Meta has been strict in enforcing its policies against certain types of content, these NSFW AI “girlfriend” ads seem to slip through the cracks. When Wired contacted Meta about the issue, they found that 2,700 of these ads were still active. A Meta spokesperson stated that the company prohibits such ads and is reviewing them, promising to remove any that violate their policies. However, Wired discovered that thousands of these ads were still active days later.
This raises questions about the effectiveness of Meta’s content moderation systems and the company’s commitment to addressing these issues. It also highlights the need for clearer guidelines and fairer enforcement practices to ensure that all users, regardless of their content or industry, are treated fairly on Meta’s platforms.
In conclusion, the proliferation of AI on Meta’s platforms has led to the appearance of explicit AI “girlfriend” ads. Despite Meta’s policies against adult content and sexually suggestive material, these ads continue to be published and remain active for extended periods. This raises concerns about Meta’s content moderation practices and whether they are truly effective in protecting users from inappropriate or harmful content. There is a need for greater transparency and fairness in Meta’s policies and enforcement mechanisms to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all users.
