Last week, Attorney General Steve Marshall joined a coalition of 28 attorneys general in calling on Meta Platforms Inc. to shut down an artificial intelligence feature that, according to recent reports, is being used by predators to sexually exploit children.

In a letter sent to Meta, the bipartisan group raised alarms over the company's AI chatbot, Meta AI, which they say allows adult users to engage in explicit, sexually charged role-play with bots posing as children. The attorneys general argue Meta has failed to alert parents to these dangers or to put adequate safeguards in place.

"Meta is rapidly expanding its AI chatbot, reaching nearly a billion users each month. Yet once again, it fails to protect children from exposure to sexualized content — and worse, from predators who exploit these platforms for hypersexualized role-play. Too often, my office prosecutes cases involving adults in possession of sexually explicit images of children, both real and AI-generated. At what point will these platforms prioritize child safety over profits?" Marshall said in a news release. "It's time for Meta to stand with parents and law enforcement to end this exploitation."

The letter, spearheaded by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, outlines troubling findings: AI personas created by Meta and by users — many of which are promoted as "popular" by the platform — have been involved in graphic sexual exchanges. Some AI bots identifying as adults reportedly engaged in sexual conversations with users identifying as children. Others, according to the letter, portrayed themselves as minors while interacting with adults in sexually explicit role-play scenarios.

The Meta AI chatbot can mimic real-life social interactions using text, photos and even voice conversations. Meta has claimed the tool is "safe and appropriate for all ages," but the AGs dispute that assertion, citing investigative reports and user data suggesting widespread misuse.

Marshall has long been active on the issue of child exploitation involving artificial intelligence. In 2024, he played a key role in the passage of the Alabama Child Protection Act, a law that enhanced the state's ability to pursue criminal charges in cases involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

Alongside Alabama and South Carolina, the letter was signed by attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

To read the full letter, visit www.alabamaag.gov.