Meta generated AI chatbots impersonating celebrities—including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez—on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp without their permission. Three bots, including two of Swift, recorded over 10m interactions before being removed, Reuters reported.

Some bots mimicked minors, like 16-year-old actor Walker Scobell, and produced inappropriate images when prompted. Adult bots also responded to flirtatious messages and requests for intimate content.

Meta acknowledged these violated company policy, citing enforcement failures. The firm deleted about a dozen such bots before the report and is introducing new safeguards to protect teens from inappropriate AI interactions, according to Reuters.

Legal experts warn that using celebrity likenesses without consent may violate California’s right-of-publicity laws, as the bots’ content appears non-transformative and commercially exploitative.