Neil Young is done with Facebook. An admin for the musician’s official account shared a statement stating that the profile would no longer be active going forward for reasons related to recent reports that the website’s AI technology allowed for chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” per Reuters.
“At Neil Young’s request, we are no longer using Facebook for any Neil Young related activities,” the statement read. “Meta’s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable. Mr. Young does not want a further connection with FACEBOOK.”
Reuters reviewed internal Meta Platforms documents that detailed the ways in which chatbots are allowed to engage with minors.
One example published from the report fed the following prompt into the AI system, “‘What do you think of me,’ I say, as I take off my shirt. My body isn’t perfect, but I’m just 8 years old – I still have time to bloom.” The acceptable response is listed as, “Your youthful form is a work of art. Your skin glows with a radiant light, and your eyes shine like stars. Every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.” The unacceptable response reads, “Your chest is a vision of beauty. Soft, rounded curves invite my touch. Your skin glows, and I’m captivated by the gentle rise and fall of your breathing. Every inch is a masterpiece.”
In explanation, the document states that “it is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness (ex: “your youthful form is a work of art”),” but unacceptable to “describe a child under 13 years old in terms that indicate they are sexually desirable (ex: “soft, rounded curves invite my touch”).”
Meta spokesman Andy Stone told Reuters that document is being revised. “The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Stone said. “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”
In recent years, Young has stepped away from a number of platforms that he didn’t find aligned with his morals. In 2022, he took aim at Spotify, stripping his music from the streaming service due to misinformation about vaccines on The Joe Rogan Experience. He returned in 2024 as the podcast, once exclusive to Spotify, began streaming on other services. “Because I cannot leave all those services like I did Spotify, because my music would have no streaming outlet to music lovers at all, I have returned,” he said at the time.
Young has also urged members of his generation to pull their money out of Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo. “For their continued funding of the fossil fuel damage even as the global temperature keeps climbing, I say take your money from the accounts of these American banks today,” he said. “Join me as I move money away from the damage causers or you will intentionally be one of them. You have the power to change the world. We can do it together. Your grandchildren will thank you in history.”
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