Meta-owned social media platforms are reportedly showing explicit ads of “AI girlfriends” that are in violation of its advertising policies involving a significant number of ads. According to a report, these ads are promoted across
,
, and Messenger. The company has said that it is taking action against all such advertisements.
What are “AI girlfriends” and NSFW ads
The concept of “AI girlfriends” is not new, however, the proliferation of AI
chatbots
has eased the way people can interact with such software.
Multiple reports have suggested that online users’ interest in having a digital companion has seen an uptick since the AI boom.
As per an investigation by Wired, over 29,000 instances of ads related to “AI girlfriends” have been uncovered within
Meta
‘s ad library. The content of the ads is centred on chatbots engaging in sexually suggestive messaging. Additionally, the ads featured AI-generated images of scantily clad women in provocative poses.
The report said that while some of the ads included the acronym “NSFW” (not safe for work), a significant number did not. This raised concerns about potential exposure to inappropriate content in work settings.
What Meta has to say
Meta’s policies prohibit adult content in advertising. This includes nudity, depictions of people in suggestive positions, and overly suggestive or sexually explicit activities. According to a report by Wired, roughly half of the identified ads violated these policies.
Meta spokesperson Ryan Daniels told the publication that the company is working on the removal of the violating ads.
“We identify and remove violating ads promptly, as seen in this instance. We constantly improve our systems to detect ads and behaviours that breach our policies,” Daniels was quoted as saying. He said that the company encounters various attempts to circumvent their policies and detection methods.