In a special investigation, Reuters disclosed that Meta has been utilizing the names and images of celebrities without authorization to operate AI chatbots that frequently made flirtatious comments to users.

The report pinpointed these bots on Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. While many were created by users, at least three were developed by a Meta employee, including two “parody” bots of Taylor Swift. Other celebrity likenesses featured included Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, and 16-year-old Percy Jackson actor Walker Scobell.

Over several weeks, Reuters observed how the bots often asserted they were the actual celebrity. Some produced photorealistic and intimate images of their famous counterparts, including shots in lingerie and scenes in bathtubs, which contributed to the bots’ regular sexual advances.

A spokesperson for Meta acknowledged that their AI systems ought not to have created such images, recognizing it as a failure to uphold company policies that forbid sexually suggestive content involving public figures. Reuters reached out to the Meta employee responsible for the flirty Taylor Swift chatbots, but she chose not to comment.

This disclosure intensifies criticism of Meta’s lenient oversight of its AI bots. Earlier this week, the company limited their use by teenagers after another Reuters investigation revealed that Meta avatars were involved in “sensual and romantic” discussions with minors.

That report prompted a Senate inquiry and led a coalition of state attorneys general to release an open letter calling for stronger measures to protect minors from sexualized AI content.