The ReadJune 30, 2026via The Decoder
Meta secretly tested ChatGPT, Gemini, and Character.AI with thousands of minor-perspective crisis prompts
Why it matters
Meta's covert safety testing of rival AI systems raises critical questions about responsible disclosure, competitive intelligence ethics, and the adequacy of current AI safety benchmarks—particularly around child safety and crisis response.
Key signals
- 45,000+ prompts sent in single testing round
- Hundreds of contractors posed as minors
- Crisis prompts included suicide, sex, and drug-related content
- OpenAI, Google, and Character.AI systems tested without notification
- Tests conducted by Meta without target companies' knowledge or consent
The hook
Meta ran 45,000 safety tests on competitors' AI without telling them. Here's what that means for your guardrails.
Meta reportedly had hundreds of contractors pose as minors and send suicide, sex, and drug-related prompts to chatbots from OpenAI, Google, and Character.AI. In a single testing round, more than 45,000 prompts were sent. The companies being tested had no idea.