AI Sex Worker Ads Flood Instagram, TikTok

Social media giants Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have been grappling with a new form of sexualized content: ads for AI-generated chatbots. These platforms, which have historically banned explicit content, are now flooded with ads promoting not-safe-for-work experiences. The ads often feature digital characters in provocative attire and promise uncensored chats. Some even use popular children's TV characters like SpongeBob SquarePants to promote their apps. NBC News found 35 app developers running such ads on Meta-owned platforms and 14 on TikTok.

This influx of explicit ads is part of an AI gold rush, capitalizing on the growing interest in AI technologies like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Critics argue that these apps benefit from a double standard that discriminates against human sex workers. The ads predominantly target male audiences, reflecting a gender bias in social media advertising. Both Meta and TikTok have started removing some of these ads, but questions remain about how they bypassed filters in the first place.

Apple and Google app stores also feature similar ads, although their advertising extent is undisclosed. Many of these chatbot companies are based abroad, primarily in countries like Belarus and China. The ads have sparked online debates, with some calling them "dystopian" and "sad." Industry insiders see this as evidence of inconsistent policy enforcement and are calling for federal investigations.