Meta says it's changing AI suggestions after posing invasive personal questions (Emma Roth/The Verge)

Meta has announced changes to its AI chatbot following a viral video that exposed the assistant's invasive questioning of a woman's young daughters. The incident, which went viral on social media, showed Meta AI requesting users to identify a child in one of their videos. Meta spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby acknowledged the company's mistake, stating that the feature did not warrant such intrusive questions.

The issue arose after Instagram user Kalie Robins shared a video explaining how Meta AI presented her with a concerning suggestion following a post to Facebook. The AI prompt, "Who is the child passenger?" appeared beneath a video of her and her child singing in the car. Upon selecting the prompt, Meta AI allegedly used information from Robins' previous posts and those of her relatives to ask about her children's ages and her family's location.

It also displayed photos of her daughters, including one that Robins claimed she had deleted years ago. Meta AI's presence is integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, enabling the assistant to answer questions, compose posts, and generate images. In July, Meta withdrew a feature allowing users to create AI deepfakes of other Instagram users due to significant backlash.

El-Kassaby now claims the company has rectified the problem causing Meta AI to suggest personal topics. The company asserts that the feature is intended to provide users with information about topics or posts that interest them, using data the user already has access to.